HARRISBURG – The state House on Wednesday sent Gov. Ed Rendell a bill allowing poker, blackjack and roulette atPennsylvania‘s slot-machine casinos, putting into place the last, unfinished piece of this year’s $27.8 billion state budget.

The House voted 103-89 to approve a compromise bill that allows up to 250 table games at stand-alone casinos, such as the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, and at horse tracks. Smaller, ”resort” casinos could have up to 50 table games.

Rendell is expected to sign the bill today, ushering the state into the realm of high rollers. Though slot machines yield casinos the most money, supporters say table games attract big spenders who stay longer and boost spin-offs such as hotel rooms and restaurants.

The House’s vote to approve the games and the Senate vote on Tuesday also lifted the threat of job losses for nearly 1,000 state employees, administration spokesman Gary Tuma said. Rendell had said he would have to lay them off to save money if lawmakers failed to send him a gaming bill by week’s end.

The compromise bill was the product of a negotiating committee composed of members from both the House and Senate.

Proponents have spent months positioning the table games bill as a vehicle for economic development and job creation during a time of national and statewide recession. Opponents argued the Legislature should not vote to expand gambling while there were still shortcomings in the state’s five-year-old gaming law. Social conservatives warned of a host of social ills, including poverty, gambling addiction and prostitution.

Local lawmakers voting for the bill were Reps. Karen Beyer, R-Lehigh; Joe Brennan, D-Northampton; Mike Carroll, D-Monroe; Bob Freeman, D-Northampton; Rich Grucela, D-Northampton; Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh; Keith McCall, D-Carbon; Steve Samuelson, D-Northampton; and John Siptroth, D-Monroe.

After the vote, Brennan, of Bethlehem, said he cast his ballot in favor of the games because it would mean the continued redevelopment of what was formerly a brownfield and would spur creation of hundreds of jobs.

Read the full Morning Call article here

Tags: table games

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