Pennsylvania to debate new gaming bill

State legislators would decide this month the financial proposal for casino host communities.

US.- Pennsylvania legislators are ready to focus on a major case that affects the financial situation of local communities. The Senate will face this month several meetings to approve a gaming bill, which will define the rules of casino tax payments.

The government used to send the tax money paid by casinos to police and fire-fighter departments, as well as social organisations state-wide. However, the Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional the casino legislation that required operators to pay over 4 percent of taxes as “local share assessment.”

Without that income estimated on US$10 million, Pennsylvanian communities are not able to keep funding the departments. According to Pennsylvania State Representative Scott Petri, the issue on casino taxes will be hard to handle this month. Several operators have compromised with their local communities to keep paying the old tax in order to help with the development of the State.

Petri stated yesterday that the new law would not be implemented in the following months, which means that the lack of incomes from 2016/17 budged would not be fixed. “It’s just not going to happen. I never thought it was going to happen when we approved the budget,” he said. “I anticipate that we’re going to have a shortfall. To me, it’s more important that we do this right,” Petri explained.