State Ban on Political Donations by Gaming Businesses Tossed

A Pennsylvania law intended to curtail corruption by preventing gaming businesses from making political donations runs afoul of the First Amendment, the Third Circuit said Friday.

Although the state has an important interest in preventing quid pro quo corruption, Pennsylvania’s law is overbroad, the opinion by Judge Richard L. Nygaard said.

Pennsylvania argued that because of the nature of the gaming industry, the ban is necessary to prevent the appearance of, or actual, corruption in the political process.

But 25 other states have some form of legalized gaming, and bans with the scope and breadth of Pennsylvania’s aren’t common, the ...