Doing nothing about regulating online gaming in Pennsylvania is not an option — consumers and taxpayers have waited long enough. Each and every day that the Commonwealth goes without regulation is another day that consumers are left unprotected and revenue is left on the table.

But sadly, activity has stalled, leaving consumers unprotected and wondering where the revenue is going to come from to fill that $100 million dollar gap.

All this while stories continue to abound when it comes to offshore and unregulated sites leaving consumers holding the bag as they operate in the shadows and take them for a ride.

In a day and age when politics and campaigns are getting sillier by the minute, it was refreshing to see Gov. Tom Wolf, and both Republicans and Democrats in the Assembly and Senate come together to agree on a budget and one that includes and relies on $100 million in revenue from iGaming.

Just last week another off-shore site, Full Flush Poker, shut down. Because there currently is no regulation or oversight structure in Pennsylvania, there is nothing affected players in Pennsylvania can do to get their money back or hold them accountable.

The current proposal to regulate iGaming, sponsored by Rep. George Dunbar, R-Westmoreland, is good public policy.

It would allow the Commonwealth to corral the current unregulated marketplace and turn it into a system that is safe for consumers, accountable to regulators and beneficial to taxpayers, while also allowing trusted gaming companies to provide entertainment in a regulated environment.

How a national fight over online gambling could affect Pa.: Devon Chappell
How a national fight over online gambling could affect Pa.: Devon Chappell
Time is running out for Pa. lawmakers to pass a bill regulating online gambling.

It should be considered as the legislature determines how to address the recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that deemed the "local share tax" or "slot tax" unconstitutional, which nullifies more than $140 million in annual revenue that local communities receive from gaming that reportedly could have a significant impact on funding for critical items such as road repairs, police officer salaries and water and sewer infrastructure updates, to name a few.

The time is now to move the Dunbar bill forward to ensure the proper safeguards are in place for consumers while also generating a significant uptick in revenue without instituting new taxes.

Odds are, Pennsylvania's going to see another gambling expansion debate this week
Odds are, Pennsylvania's going to see another gambling expansion debate this week
House members want to see if they can lift internet gambling, video gaming at bars and clubs into the 2016-17 budget discussion.

Look no further than to New Jersey to see that a regulated iGaming system works for both the consumer and the state.

It's what the Commonwealth's residents and communities deserve — not an unregulated system that continues to put them at risk and is bleeding their pockets dry.

John Pappas is the Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance in Washington D.C.

This is a reprint from pennlive.com. to view the original, click here.