Politics PA

Players might not be rolling dice or going all in on the poker table by Independence Day, but it could be close.

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.

HARRISBURG – After months of delays, a bill allowing poker, blackjack, roulette and other table games at Pennsylvania’s slot-machine casinos appears poised for a final vote as early as today.

Gov. Ed Rendell said today he is “guardedly optimistic” that before the end of the week the Legislature will approve a revised bill allowing table games at casinos, which would void his threat to lay off 1,000 or so state employees on Friday to balance the 2009-10 budget. The state House and Senate are expected to form a six-member conference committee today to adopt a new version of Senate Bill 711, the table games bill. The Senate then is expected to vote on it tonight and the House tomorrow. Mr. Rendell said he hopes the bill will be on his desk by Thursday, but said only time will tell.

Lawmakers return to work today with a seemingly simple goal: delivering a table-games bill to the governor’s desk by Friday.

Libraries in Pittsburgh. A lower Bucks County hospital. A new medical school in Scranton. A community college in Erie – if it ever gets built.
Those pet projects and others stand to hit the jackpot if table games are legalized at Pennsylvania casinos.

PENNSYLVANIA has just served notice on all the surrounding states in the casino game: We just opened a fresh can of whoop-ass with your name on it. New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Connecticut and all the ships at sea – you’d better bet big or stay home.