PA House set to take up gaming bill
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
By: Elizabeth Fiedler
efiedler@whyy.org
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is expected to take up a pivotal gaming bill today. The legislation would give Keystone State casinos two controversial allowances.
Listen:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The bill would exempt Philadelphia casinos from the city's smoking ban — something Casino Free Philadelphia spokesman Dan Hajdo opposes.
Hajdo: They want to get as many people in for as long as possible so they don't want people leaving to take smoking breaks because they might stop gambling.
But the bill has plenty of supporters.
Sugarhouse spokeswoman Leigh Whitaker.
Whitaker: We've always wanted to be on a level playing field with the other casinos in Pennsylvania to make us more competitive. So the provision about smoking in the bill would put us on the same footing as the other casinos in Pennsylvania.
The bill would also legalize table games in the states' casinos.
Whitaker says if the legislation passes, Sugarhouse would like to have table games in the casino that's slated to open this summer in Philadelphia.