It appears that the jobs of as many as 1,000 state workers will be safe as the Pennsylvania legislature yesterday voted to give the state’s slots casinos the right to operate table games such as baccarat, blackjack, craps, poker and roulette. Governor Ed Rendell could sign the bill into law today and the extra revenue, expected to come on stream in around six to nine months if not before, will help to balance the state budget.

Critics of the new law say that it is fatally flawed but the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has already issued a statement saying that agency staff, in anticipation of the eventual passage of the table games legislation, have been working on draft regulations for each of the popular table games that are anticipated to be offered at casinos. Larger casinos will have to pay a US$16.5 million licensing fee and resort casinos will be charged US$7.5 million. The amount of those fees will increase after June 1.

PGCB Chairman Gregory C. Fajt said, "The challenge to oversee a managed expansion at Pennsylvania’s casinos from a regulatory perspective is now before us and the Gaming Control Board is well-prepared. At the same time, no one should believe that implementing table games is as simple as turning on a spigot. We will move the process along as quickly as possible, but will not sacrifice thoroughness for speed."

The PGCB earlier announced that even with a five-day closure of Pennsylvania’s largest slots revenue producer, figures for December show growth in revenue among all key measurements at the Commonwealth’s casinos. With the opening of two more casinos during 2009, nine slot machine facilities now operate in Pennsylvania. Together, those casinos generated a combined $155,048,230 in gross revenue last month, a 28.14% increase over revenue generated by legalized gaming in December of 2008.

December’s figures also showed that the seven casinos currently in operation that were also operating last December produced a 1.4% increase this year. This increase was achieved even though parx casino (Philadelphia Park) was closed for nearly five full days preparing for the opening of its new permanent facility in Bensalem, Bucks County. Tax revenue from casinos during calendar year 2009 topped $1 billion and was 21.60% over 2008. From January through December of this past year, tax revenue was $1,080,472,555 compared to $888,561,167 in calendar year 2008.

“December was a very eventful and successful month for the PGCB and Pennsylvania ’s casino industry,” said Executive Director Kevin O’Toole. “In addition to our oversight of the managed growth of the slots casino industry, our staff also guided the successful on-time opening of the parx casino.” O’Toole added that 2010 will be tremendously challenging for PGCB staff as it prepares for the openings of two more casinos and the Commonwealth’s probable move into table gaming. (E-01.07.10)

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