Pa. House Passes Big Gambling Expansion
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed rushed legislation to expand casino-style gambling to the internet, airports, bars and elsewhere.
The vote, 102-89, came Wednesday night on hundreds of pages of legislation made public just hours earlier. House Majority Leader Dave Reed says the vote is an important step before budget negotiations heat up this month.
It's not clear whether it'll have support from senators or Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. But House Republican leaders hope to reap hundreds of millions of dollars from taxes and license fees, and say the gambling revenue is necessary to prop up Pennsylvania's deficit-riddled finances.
It would allow licensed casinos to bring gambling to the internet, airports and satellite locations around Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, thousands of bars and truck stops could operate slot machine-style video games.
Similar legislation failed last summer in the House.
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