Rendell wants to legalize video poker, but he doesn't think it would represent an expansion of gambling in Pennsylvania

I was listening this morning to WHYY’s Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane, when finally I heard an explanation of why Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell won’t call legalizing video poker an expansion of gambling. The guest speaking was Chris Brennan, a reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News who covers the casino, who told Marty the following:

There’s a reason why he has to pitch this as a non expansion of gaming. That’s because of the original slots law which passed in July of 2004 said that in order to get a gaming license you had to pay a $50 million fee. And if gaming was expanded in the state; within a period of time, that I believe was 8 or 10 years, you get a refund on a sliding scale. The more years that go by the less your refund. You would actually get some of your $50 million fee back if there were new casinos added.

Wow, whatever ever happened truth-in-labeling? So, video poker is not an expansion of gaming because, if it was then the rebate checks would go out. The Governor has asked the legislature to legalize as many as 70,000 video poker machines for bars and taverns. Any establishment with a liquor license, under the Governor’s proposal, would be allowed to have up to five video poker machines. Video poker is not a done deal in this state, state lawmakers have given this “non-expansion of gaming” long odds.

To listen to the full interview: click here (one hour)