Pennsylvania Bill Would Geofence Schools From Sports Betting
Jesse M. Cox Published 23/06/2026
A new bill proposal was introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature that is designed to put a wall up between underage students and legal and regulated sports betting sites operating in the state. House Bill 2631 would place the responsibility on each of the state's licensed sports betting sites to use geospatial technology to prevent K-12 students from accessing their sites.
This is the same kind of location software that sports betting sites already use to ensure that Pennsylvania gamblers cannot access their sports betting accounts to place bets when they are outside state lines.
This new bill is seeking to prevent underage gambling
State Representative Jason Ortitay is the sponsor of House Bill 2631. He believes the current Pennsylvania gambling system makes it too easy for underage players to access an online site to bet on sports.
He cites instances of kids using their parents' sports betting accounts to place bets. In other examples, he insists that they are simply lying about their age to open an account.
His bill proposal would hope to close these loopholes. Requiring that the online sports betting sites operating in Pennsylvania geofence all K-12 schools would prohibit any student from using a smartphone or laptop to access a betting site during school hours. Inside the geofenced area, no online sportsbook will be accessible by any account.
“Our schools should be a place for learning, not a place to lose your future one bet at a time,” Ortitay told Newstalk 103.7 FM. “The technology to stop this already exists.
"We are simply asking the operators who profit from gaming to make sure their products cannot be used by a child sitting in a classroom. This is common sense, and it is long overdue.”
Ortitay worked on the language of the bill in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The state regulator of sports betting is supporting Oritatay's bill.
The bill is currently awaiting consideration in front of the House Gaming Oversight Committee.
Tragedy spurred Ortitay to take action
Ortitay is among the six Republicans sponsoring the bill. There are also two Democrats showing as sponsors of the bipartisan bill.
In creating this legislation, Ortitay was looking to it as a tribute to Ray Mikesell. The Pennsylvania student from South Fayette Township began struggling with gambling addiction while he was still a student. Never really able to shake his addiction, Mikesell took his own life. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on November 25, 2024.
It was his father, Raymond Mikesell Sr., who originally spoke with Ortitay about pursuing a bill of this nature. “Ray’s story is one too many families across Pennsylvania know all too well,” Ortitay said. “His father turned his grief into a mission to protect other kids.
"The least we can do is honor that by getting this done.”
Mikesell Sr. doesn't want to see any other families suffer the loss that has impacted his family.
“If this legislation helps even one person, it is worth it,” Mikesell Sr. said. “This is for my son.”
Pennsylvania's legal gambling age varies
The legal age to gamble in Pennsylvania varies depending on the type of gambling a player wants to pursue. To bet on sports or play casino games, either in person, online, or via a mobile device, you need to be 21 years old.
Lottery players only need to be 18. Likewise, the minimum age to trade on a prediction market site is 18.
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