Pennsylvania edges toward ‘Net bets; The forbidden dance

There’s nothing like a budget crisis and a partial government shutdown to focus lawmakers’ minds on gaming expansion. That’s the case in Pennsylvania, where House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R, right) says, “We need to come to a conclusion on liquor reform. We need to address cost drivers like our pension system. We need to look at gaming options.” [emphasis added] And by “gaming options,” Reed means Internet gambling, OTB slot parlors and airport slots. The House rejected Gov. Tom Wolf‘s $2.4 billion tax increase like a hanging curve ball, putting “gaming options” onto the front burner.

“Before we look at increasing taxes on working families, we have a responsibility to look at every other possible revenue source out there, and expanded gaming is certainly one of those possibilities,” Reed told a Pittsburgh radio station. Not only does the (undoubtedly rosy) projection of $307 million in annual Internet gaming revenues sound tempting, there’s a hint of desperation to find new gambling-money sources now that Pennsylvania casinos have passed the saturation point. The deal breaker could be tax rates, with the House bill favoring 15% for i-gaming while the state Senate version demands a usurious 54% levy.

* Sheldon Adelson‘s proposed “study” (read: de facto ban) on online gambling is evidently encountering the same indifference in Congress as his bill to ban Internet gaming outright. The “study” would freeze Web betting in all but those states that already have it: New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada. The executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, John Pappas, fairly took the words right out of my mouth: “An Internet gambling moratorium is nothing more than prohibition in sheep’s clothing. They can’t get RAWA through the front door so they are trying to squeeze it through the back.”

In fact, quite a few prestigious bodies are lining up against Adelson, from the Fraternal Order of Police to the National Governors Association, among others. Law enforcement officials are said to be particularly concerned, as illegal Internet wagering would continue to flourish while Congress “studies” the alleged problem of ‘Net betting. It’s nice to see that, despite Adelson’s efforts to the contrary, our democratic process is not for sale.

* We don’t know what sexual acts are illegal in Idaho but a piquant state law forbids the imitation of “any sexual acts which are prohibited by law.” Evidently Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel didn’t get the memo, because guest show Hunks busted out some of the forbidden moves. As a consequence, Coeur d’Alene will have its liquor privileges suspended for 10 days by the Idaho Liquor Control Board. The real losers here are the casino players, who won’t be able to get a buzz on while gambling.