NH Lawmaker Predicts Credit Cards in iGaming Would Sink iGaming Bills
A state senator in New Hampshire says any iGaming bill that permits credit cards to be used to fund play would be “political suicide.”
Lawmaker says credit cards for online casinos are a bad idea. ©
Key Facts:
- State Sen. Tim Lang of New Hampshire says he was “brutalized” in the legislature when he tried to support a credit card option in a failed NH iGaming bill
- A former regulator claims no evidence exists supporting the notion that a ban on credit cards as a payment source is effective
- Most states with legal iGaming permit credit cards for funding play easily and quickly
Earlier this month, during a hearing convened by the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States, gaming industry experts, many former regulators, and current lawmakers came together to formulate plans for online casino expansion.
But whether or not more states pass iGaming bills may come down to one issue. At least that’s what New Hampshire state senator Tim Lang believes. The issue? Allowing consumers to use their credit card to fund their online casino activity.
“If I was to allow credit cards [for funding online casino play] the bill will be [dead] on the spot. It wouldn’t go any further at all,” Sen. Lang said recently at a meeting of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States. “[D]ata may suggest otherwise, if the legislators in the room will want to get elected again, and want the actual bill passed…you put credit cards in and that will get your bill killed in most states.”
Sure enough, New Hampshire lawmakers allowed an online casino bill to wilt on the vine, not even taking it to the floor for a vote in 2023.
Seven states have active iGaming: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Three states, Indiana, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, considered legislation to permit online casinos as recently as 2024, but did not. Lawmakers in Wyoming are pondering an online casino bill for 2025, and other states may also take up the issue.
US States Respond Differently to iGaming
Whereas more than 35 states have passed laws making it legal to bet on sports, many states are being cautious in taking on online casino apps. One state that went ahead with it was Michigan, which launched both online sportsbooks and casinos in 2021. So far, that state has not reported issues, despite allowing consumers to fund their accounts with credit cards.
“The ban on credit cards is … not supported by evidence and research today,” said former New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement head David Rebuck at the NCLGS conference.
Potential Risks and Concerns
Some experts have worried that allowing credit cards would lead to an increase in gambling addiction and related concerns like bankruptcies and economic turmoil for consumers who are not responsible with budgeting their play on online casinos. In most states consumers can download an iGaming mobile app and be playing it on their phone within minutes from the comfort of their own home.
In Pennsylvania, a small group of lawmakers attempted to ban credit cards after the state had already launched online casinos. That effort was abandoned. Once consumers have the convenience of being able to quickly fund their online gaming accounts, they don’t seem to want that option tampered with.
Bridging the Education Gap
One attendee at the NCLGS conference admitted that a draft bill that organization is proposing that allows for credit cards is designed for success.
“This is a complex issue, and it’s complex for those in the industry that actually know it very well, and it’s super complex for legislators where there’s a major education gap,” said NLCLGS president Shawn Fluharty. “I believe putting together this type of model legislation will help close the education gap with legislators.”
