Pennsylvania Okays Poker Bill
Written by Renee K | Saturday, January 9th, 2010
Lawmakers in Pennsylvania finally approved a bill that will make games such as blackjack and poker legal in the state. Through a 103 to 89 vote in favor of the bill, it is hoped that the new law will generate up to $250 million in much needed revenue to state coffers as a result.
The vote took place in the House of Representatives and essentially allows fourteen licensed casinos in Pennsylvania to add table games to their current offerings.
Before the bill was passed, casinos were only allowed to offer slot machines.
The bill now needs to be signed by Democratic Governor Ed Rendell before casinos start introducing poker and other card games to their portfolios.
Rendell told lawmakers that he would need to lay off over 1000 state employees if they did not pass the bill immediately. He noted that without the extra revenue that would come from legalized poker in the state, the 2009/2010 budget would be out of balance.
In fact, the bill had been practically consented as far back as October, however wrangling over last minute details, such as how many poker tables to allow across state, whether players could receive casino credit, etc., delayed the finalization of the bill.
It was finally decided that a total of 250 tables would be allowed at each large casino, while resorts could have fifty. By charging large casinos $16.5 million for licenses, it is hoped that the state will generate enough cash in no time.
A spokesman for the House Democratic majority, Todd Eachus said about the bill: “We view this as a win for Pennsylvania taxpayers. This was something that needed to be done to balance the budget gap, and it will create thousands of jobs for Pennsylvania.”
Dante Santoni, who acts as House Democratic Gaming Oversight Committee Chairman said: “This is a common sense, bipartisan piece of legislation that makes our gaming facilities more competitive, improves the public’s confidence in gaming, raises money we desperately need in these tough financial times, and – most importantly – helps put thousands of people to work in a brand-new industry,”
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· Written by Renee K · Filed Under Poker News · Comments Off
