The General Assembly recognizes the following public policy purposes and declares that the following objectives of the Commonwealth are to be served by this part:
(1) The primary objective of this part to which all other objectives and purposes are secondary is to protect the public through the regulation and policing of all activities involving gaming and practices that continue to be unlawful.
(2) The authorization of limited gaming by the installation and operation of slot machines as authorized in this part is intended to enhance live horse racing, breeding programs, entertainment and employment in this Commonwealth.
(2.1) The authorization of table games and interactive gaming in this part is intended to supplement slot machine gaming by increasing revenues to the Commonwealth and providing new employment opportunities by creating skilled jobs for individuals related to the conduct of table games at licensed facilities in this Commonwealth and related to the conduct of interactive gaming.
(3) The authorization of limited gaming is intended to provide a significant source of new revenue to the Commonwealth to support property tax relief, wage tax reduction, economic development opportunities and other similar initiatives.
(3.1) The authorization of limited gaming in this Commonwealth impacts this Commonwealth as a whole, including the geographic regions of this Commonwealth where licensed facilities are located. Requiring licensed facilities to make annual payments for the privilege of operating in this Commonwealth's counties and municipalities furthers a legitimate government interest of ensuring benefits to not only the host county and host municipality but the region where the licensed facility is located.
(3.2) Requiring annual payments to both host counties and host municipalities recognizes that these two separate units of local government have separate governing bodies, different jurisdictions and may face distinct issues related to the authorization of limited gaming within their boundaries. This distinction applies in all regions, except a city and county of the first class, which are governed by one governing body and where the territorial limits of the jurisdictions are identical and unique.
(4) The authorization of limited gaming is intended to positively assist the Commonwealth's horse racing industry, support programs intended to foster and promote horse breeding and improve the living and working conditions of personnel who work and reside in and around the stable and backside areas of racetracks.
(5) The authorization of limited gaming is intended to provide broad economic opportunities to the citizens of this Commonwealth and shall be implemented in such a manner as to prevent possible monopolization by establishing reasonable restrictions on the control of multiple licensed gaming facilities in this Commonwealth.
(6) The authorization of limited gaming is intended to enhance the further development of the tourism market throughout this Commonwealth, including, but not limited to, year-round recreational and tourism locations in this Commonwealth.
(7) Participation in limited gaming authorized under this part by any licensee, permittee, registrant or certificate holder shall be deemed a privilege, conditioned upon the proper and continued qualification of the licensee, permittee, registrant or certificate holder and upon the discharge of the affirmative responsibility of each licensee, permittee, registrant and certificate holder to provide the regulatory and investigatory authorities of the Commonwealth with assistance and information necessary to assure that the policies declared by this part are achieved.
(8) Strictly monitored and enforced control over all limited gaming authorized by this part shall be provided through regulation, licensing and appropriate enforcement actions of specified locations, persons, associations, practices, activities, licensees, permittees, registrants and certificate holders.
(9) Strict financial monitoring and controls shall be established and enforced by all licensees, permittees, registrants and certificate holders.
(10) The public interest of the citizens of this Commonwealth and the social effect of gaming shall be taken into consideration in any decision or order made pursuant to this part.
(10.1) The General Assembly has a compelling interest in protecting the integrity of both the electoral process and the legislative process by preventing corruption and the appearance of corruption which may arise through permitting any type of political campaign contributions by certain persons involved in the gaming industry and regulated under this part.
(10.2) Banning all types of political campaign contributions by certain persons subject to this part is necessary to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption that may arise when political campaign contributions and gaming regulated under this part are intermingled.
(11) It is necessary to maintain the integrity of the regulatory control and legislative oversight over the operation and play of slot machines, table games and interactive gaming in this Commonwealth; to ensure the bipartisan administration of this part; and avoid actions that may erode public confidence in the system of representative government.
(12) It is the intent of the General Assembly to authorize the operation and play of slot machines, table games and interactive gaming under a single slot machine license issued to a slot machine licensee when a slot machine licensee has been issued a table game operation certificate and an interactive gaming certificate under this part.
(12.1) The continued growth and success of the commercial gaming industry in this Commonwealth is dependent upon a regulatory environment which promotes and fosters technological advances and encourages the development and delivery of innovative gaming products.
(12.2) It is also the intent of the General Assembly to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the commercial gaming industry in this Commonwealth by authorizing interactive gaming, the operation of multistate wide-area progressive slot machines, skill and hybrid slot machines.
(12.3) It is also the intent of the General Assembly to authorize the operation and play of interactive gaming in conformance with Federal law, including the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (Title VIII of Public Law 109-347, 31 U.S.C. ยงยง 5361-5367).
(12.4) It is also the intent of the General Assembly to authorize sports wagering when Federal law is enacted or repealed or a Federal court decision is filed that permits a state to regulate sports wagering.
(12.5) It is further the intent of the General Assembly to:
(i) Auction Category 4 locations and the right to apply for Category 4 locations in this Commonwealth to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the commercial gaming industry.
(ii) Authorize Category 4 locations in a manner to avoid the cannibalization of existing commercial gaming locations.
(13) The authorization of limited gaming in this Commonwealth requires the Commonwealth to take steps to increase awareness of compulsive and problem gambling and to develop and implement effective strategies for prevention, assessment and treatment of this behavioral disorder.
(14) Research indicates that compulsive and problem gambling and drug and alcohol addiction are related. Therefore, the General Assembly intends to establish an approach to compulsive and problem gambling prevention, assessment and treatment that will ensure the provision of adequate resources to identify, assess and treat both compulsive and problem gambling and drug and alcohol addiction.
(Jan. 7, 2010, P.L.1, No.1, eff. imd.; Oct. 30, 2017, P.L.419, No.42, eff. imd.)
Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes