:wackit:
After months of negotiations, the state Senate approved a bill early this morning to legalize and tax as many as 61,000 slot machines in Pennsylvania.
Revenues would go toward cutting property tax bills by about 20 percent and borrowing billions of dollars for public projects around the state.
Approval from the House of Representatives is now required. House Republican leader Sam Smith, of Jefferson County, said he is “99 percent” certain that the bill will pass the House.
The slots bill authorizes a state gambling commission to sell 14 licenses to resorts, racetracks and other sites. If the House approves the bill, Pennsylvania eventually could receive more public revenue from gambling each year than any other state and have more slot machines than any state except Nevada.
The gambling commission would be able to borrow money against expected revenues to pay out property-tax relief sooner than if they had to wait for revenues to accumulate.
In addition, proponents expect that the state will borrow about $2 billion to subsidize public projects, including making improvements and reducing debt at Pittsburgh International Airport, which officials say is necessary to attract new airlines.
The Senate’s president pro tempore, Robert Jubelirer, a Blair County Republican, said the idea of raising revenue from gambling is predicated on most people losing money, not winning.
“We must addict tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians who have to lose to make this work,” Jubelirer said. “I’m not sure that’s such good economic policy.”
But Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, a Philadelphia Democrat, said the billions of dollars that Pennsylvanians gamble in other states would stay at home and create countless jobs.
“This is a competitive decision we’re faced with, keeping our money inside our borders,” Fumo said.