There are several developments this morning concerning legalized gambling in Pennsylvania.
First, to the surprise of absolutely no one, the move to add table games to the state’s slots parlors is still stuck in Harrisburg. Yes, I realize that is redundant. If it seems like everything is stuck in Harrisburg, that is not far from the truth.
The move to add table games is a crucial plank in the state budget deal, which only took our fine, elected representatives 100 days past the deadline to craft.
A bill to give the green light to table games has passed the House, but it crapped out in the Senate.
Now Gov. Ed Rendell is ready to turn up the heat. Rendell said yesterday that if he did not get a table games bill to sign by Jan. 8, he would be forced to lay off 1,000 additional state workers. In the meantime, he did release more than $700 million in subsidies for state universities that had been held hostage by the deadlock.
Meanwhile, there is a new kid on the block when it comes to gambling venues in the region.
That was not a Black Friday sale that people were lined up to get into at 6 a.m. in Bensalem. Those were gamblers ready to try their luck in Philly Park’s swank new Parx Casino.
The racetrack had been operating in temporary facilities. Not any more.
Parx is expected to give ritzy Atlantic City casinos like the Borgata a run for their money.
In the process, it likely will also provide some more competition for Harrah’s Chester, which already is struggling with a downturn in revenues.
In the meantime, everyone in the state continues to wait on table games.
I hope they’re not holding their breath.
First, to the surprise of absolutely no one, the move to add table games to the state’s slots parlors is still stuck in Harrisburg. Yes, I realize that is redundant. If it seems like everything is stuck in Harrisburg, that is not far from the truth.
The move to add table games is a crucial plank in the state budget deal, which only took our fine, elected representatives 100 days past the deadline to craft.
A bill to give the green light to table games has passed the House, but it crapped out in the Senate.
Now Gov. Ed Rendell is ready to turn up the heat. Rendell said yesterday that if he did not get a table games bill to sign by Jan. 8, he would be forced to lay off 1,000 additional state workers. In the meantime, he did release more than $700 million in subsidies for state universities that had been held hostage by the deadlock.
Meanwhile, there is a new kid on the block when it comes to gambling venues in the region.
That was not a Black Friday sale that people were lined up to get into at 6 a.m. in Bensalem. Those were gamblers ready to try their luck in Philly Park’s swank new Parx Casino.
The racetrack had been operating in temporary facilities. Not any more.
Parx is expected to give ritzy Atlantic City casinos like the Borgata a run for their money.
In the process, it likely will also provide some more competition for Harrah’s Chester, which already is struggling with a downturn in revenues.
In the meantime, everyone in the state continues to wait on table games.
I hope they’re not holding their breath.
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