The Pennsylvania Senate has passed legislation to permit online casino-style gambling as legislators look for new revenue initiatives to counter the state's deficit-ridden finances.
In a 38-12 vote Wednesday, senators approved the just-unveiled bill, the Associated Press reported. If passed, Pennsylvania would become the first state to allow casinos and the lottery to go online. The House would have to approve the bill.
According to Senate estimates, more than $100 million would prop up state coffers in 2018, mostly from casinos paying for one-time online gambling licenses, the report said.
The bill would allow online gambling parlors in airports, and restore a requirement that casinos pay millions of dollars to local governments.