The gambling industry of Pennsylvania is the second largest sector in the U.S just behind Nevada´s, however, the U.S. District Judge Sylvia Rambo (pictured) was the person in charge of prohibiting that people related to the industry could not donate money to political campaigns.
As per law provisions, casino owners, as well as anyone with a stake in gambling businesses, are prohibited to make donations to political campaigns. This includes even individuals who are only slightly associated with the casino industry and prominent casino employees such as managers and directors.
Moreover, the law banned even insignificant cash contributions of $1, for instance.
The law at the beginning was trying to eliminate corruption and reduce the influence of the gambling industry in political decisions. But the ban exceeds the necessary scope of the original idea and that it acts as an overall prohibition of campaign contributions
Despites that Pennsylvania is home of 12 casinos generating $3.2 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2017, $1.4 billion of which was contributed to the state as taxes, this is not the very first time they try to do something like this, back in 2004, Pennsylvania legalized commercial casinos and the ban was seen as a tool to restrain the gambling industry’s influence over legislators and politicians, but it was temporarily.
