Pennsylvania to fix gambling revenues
The Supreme Court gave Pennsylvania legislators until May 26 to come up with a measure to fix gambling revenues.
US.- Lawmakers are set to discuss on Tuesday the future of the revenues that Pennsylvania gets from the gambling industry. If they don’t find a solution regarding levy for slot machines in the state, multiple counties would stop receiving money in mid-July.
According to GoErie, the 2-hour hearing will be held at the Bayfront Convention Center. The justice’s original deadline to fix the ruling that states that casinos should not be forced to pay the US$10 million host fee and the 2 percent tax on slot machines revenues was January 26. Three days before that day, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court voted 6 to 1 to create a bigger deadline so lawmakers had more time come up with a solution. Even though the bill establishes that they’re not obligated, some casinos established that they’ll continue to pay taxes even if the Legislature fails the host communities necessities.
Rep. and minority chairman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee Pat Harkins, said: “I think we’ll meet the May deadline. It’s critical we meet it. Critical to the different areas that rely on these supporting dollars. Critical to the state Supreme Court that already extended our deadline.” Perry Wood, executive director of Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA), said that they’re feeling the pressure to keep the heat on the Legislature to find a solution that keeps Erie County whole. ”I’ve been cautiously optimistic through this entire process that the Legislature will come to a resolution that keeps us whole, but there is no resolution on the table, and we’re not going to slow down for one second.” The ECGRA official stated that they need to communicate that the withdrawal of the funds from their region has real and serious consequences, and that if this money went away, it would have a significant negative ripple effect on their local economy.
The government used to send the tax money paid by casinos to police and fire-fighter departments, as well as social organisations state-wide. Without that income estimated on US$10 million, Pennsylvanian communities are not able to keep funding the departments.
