Pennsylvania to Add Slot Machines in Bars? Airports?

You’d think that Pennsylvania might have enough slot machines when considering that they’re home to 12 casinos. But now, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is discussing a bill that would add more slots in airports, bars, and truck stops.

The House passed legislation to approve this matter by a 102-89 vote.

According to PressConnects, House Majority Leader Dave Read believes that the vote is an important matter before the state congress begins ramping up discussions.

What’s unclear at this time is whether or not the Pennsylvania Senate or Governor Tom Wolf will also be in favor of the bill. Wolf, a Democrat, would need to sign the bill into law if it passes the State Senate.

It’s clear that House Republicans are largely in favor of the bill. It would potentially mean millions of extra dollars in taxes and licensing fees. And this is definitely crucial as Pennsylvania looks for any means necessary to fix their budget problems.

Bill also Includes Online Slots

The current legislation would also clear the way for an online gaming market in Pennsylvania. Only three American states currently offer online gaming, and this would make the Keystone State the fourth.

Delaware and Nevada have failed to see significant returns with their iGaming markets – even after partnering up for online poker in 2014.

New Jersey, on the other hand, is seeing progressive growth in the internet gaming arena. They earned well over $150 million in 2016, and this amount looks to increase further at the conclusion of 2017.

How will Pennsylvania’s Casinos Fare?

The problem with adding slot machines to so many locations is that the state already has enough casinos. The Philadelphia area alone features 5 casinos, and it’s a wonder how they’d do with more competition.

Many states are finding that gambling saturation isn’t a good thing. So it’s questionable whether the senate and Wolf will approve the current bill.