Casino bill introduced in Philadelphia
A legislator introduced a bill that would pave the way for a South Philadelphia casino that is currently waiting in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
US.- State Rep Scott Petri introduced a bill that is set to help a casino proposition for South Philadelphia that’s been stuck in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court with multiple appeals. The new bill would repeal some parts of the current gaming law.
Petri confirmed that his push includes an attempt to erase the part of the gaming law that limits financial ownership in a casino if said person already owns a majority stake in another casino in the state. The bill that was introduced in Harrisburg comes after a Supreme Court ruling on June 20 that ordered gambling regulators to reevaluate the ownership of the upcoming South Philadelphia casino Live! Hotel & Casino. The first evaluation was conducted last year. The court believes that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has failed to calculate if the ownership group meets the limitations in state law on casino ownership, as it is clear under the state laws that the businessman’s ownership exceeds the 85 percent in Parx and he cannot hold an extra 33.3 percent in Live! Hotel & Casino.
The bill would end the legal battle that is stuck in the Court and would pave the wat for Stadium Casino to be built. “The 1 and 1/3 rule is really an archaic provision. It does not make sense anymore to have it. The Gaming Control Board would like it removed. So that’s what the bill does,” said Petri, according to philly.com.
