We reported about this before as a bill was introduced to Pennsylvania which would tax gamers who purchase a mature rating video game. This bill was introduced back last year from a representative though that bill didn’t make it very far. However, now as of last month the bill is back which may force gamers, despite their age to pay a tax in order to enjoy a game rated for mature audiences.
As mentioned, this bill came out before and it’s now being brought back through House Bill No. 109. Essentially, if a game receives a mature rating then gamers will be forced to pay a 10% tax with the purchase. This bill highlights the claims that mature video games correlate to the tragedies as of late due to the violent acts displayed at a younger audience. We’ve seen these arguments play out over the years on video games and the violent acts displayed or performed by gamers. If this bill were to pass then the funds raised through the tax would be used towards improving security in schools within the state of Pennsylvania.
It doesn’t look like this bill will be able to be swept under the rug for retailers either as it appears that there will be a penalty for those who sell a game without the inflated tax. We’re curious what this means for retro video game retailers along with online video game sales. Regardless, this bill is not a law yet but we’re interested in seeing what happens and how gamers will react to the new tax.
