The $32 billion Pennsylvania budget that Governor Tom Wolf (D) allowed to pass without his signature in late June is underfunded by $2.2 billion, and it now appears the odds are fairly strong that some sort of will be used to partially cover the shortfall.
Democratic Governor Tom Wolf and the Republican-led House and Senate are close to a Pennsylvania budget deal that assumes new tax revenue from gaming expansion and licensing fees. (Image: Chris Knight/Associated Press)State lawmakers are back in the Harrisburg capital city this week to find a way to fund the fiscal blueprint the legislature co-developed over the summer. The leaders of the Republican-controlled House of Republicans and Senate are reportedly working behind closed doors with their Democratic colleagues to reach a deal.
While nothing has officially been confirmed, sources tell local media outlets that the authorization of as many as 10 so-called mini-casinos in rural areas will be included in the funding package. Online poker and interactive slot games will also be legalized, and video gaming terminals will be permitted inside certain truck stops.
That s according to City State, a digital news outlet that covers Pennsylvania government.
There is no deal until there are votes, Stephen Miskin, the spokesman for House Speaker Mike Turzai, told City State. The details are still being worked out and we hope to have something to share with the caucus next week.
Authorizing 10 small casinos, online gaming, and truck stop terminals won t generate $2.2 billion in tax revenue for the state. That s why, in addition to gaming expansion, state leaders are expected to borrow a lump sum that comes each year through the tobacco industry s Master Settlement Agreement.
Complete details on the budget measure, and a possible vote, are expected next week.
Defining RuralThe small gaming venues will reportedly be required to be built in rural areas far away from Pennsylvania s current 12 land-based commercial casinos. That of course means Pennsylvania s two largest cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, won t be able to snag another gambling facility.
Aside from those two metropolises, which are respectively home to 1.6 million and 304,000 people, much of Pennsylvania could be considered rural. Though Pennsylvania is the sixth most populated state in the US, it s made up of regional towns that mix the countryside with small cities.
