Pennsylvanian gambling bill advances…sort of

HB271, a Pennsylvanian House bill proposing the introduction of tablet gambling at state airports, but with plenty of room for other gambling additions, including online (see previous  report) has been approved by the state Senate’s Community Economic & Recreational Development Committee and referred to the floor for a vote on a 13 to 1 positive vote, with online gambling opponent Sen. Tommy Tomlinson abstaining.

The bill reached the Senate late last week after a 142 vs. 56 positive vote in the state House.

Whilst the CERD committee progress was encouraging, the Senate spoiled the party somewhat by immediately sending the bill back to the committee for further work….hopefully in filling it out with what the Senate wants to see in such a measure, which was reportedly the House’s goal (see earlier reports).

A consensus at last seems to be forming on the broad brush strokes of what the bill should contain, including online gambling legalisation, regulation and licensing; its original airport tablet gaming provisions; and sorting out the local land casino share tax issues.

Potential issues that could cause problems are the setting of realistic tax rates and the land casinos’ opposition to video gaming terminals in bars and off-track betting shops…if this is at some stage inserted into the bill.

CERD committee chairman Sen. Mario Scavello sounded generally positive in media reports from the state capital this week, saying that HB271 will probably be loaded by the Senate with the amendments necessary to fulfil state budget requirements and judicial rulings on the tax sharing matter.

But it is clear that HB271 has some way to go, initially back in the Senate CERD committee, then on the Senate floor, and then back to the House…and at each stage debate and amendment is possible.

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