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PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR AGAINST ATTEMPT TO LEGALISE POKER (Update)

Rendell wants to be sure that state gambling expansion is a safe bet

The governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell dampened hopes of a legalisation of poker in the state anytime soon when he reacted sharply to reports that a member of the state legislature was framing such a Bill.

The governor says that he would reject any legislation seeking to legalise table games before the state has a chance to gauge the success and impact of slot machines, according to an Associated Press report.

"We have to make sure that over time, the expansion of gaming is successful, it works well, and whatever negative sides there are to it, that we control them," Rendell told reporters at an unrelated event in the Capitol.

"And until we've had a significant test period to see that in operation, I don't think any of these bills should be considered and I wouldn't sign them," he said.

State Rep. H. William DeWeese has drafted legislation that would legalise table games at the state's gambling halls. Aides to DeWeese, who is expected to become Pennsylvania's new House speaker in January, dismissed suggestions that poker, blackjack and other table games could be more harmful than slot machines.

"There is no practical difference between putting $20 in a slot machine and $20 on a blackjack table," DeWeese's chief of staff, Michael Manzo, told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Under current law, only slot machines are allowed in Pennsylvania's gambling parlors. The first slots parlor, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, opened Nov. 14, and three others are expected to open in the next three months.

The Senate's new Republican leader, Dominic Pileggi of Delaware County, seems to agree with the governor, saying that he thinks the state needs a couple of years at least to see how its experiment with slots gambling is going.

Gambling proponents say games such as poker and blackjack are needed to attract younger, wealthier gamblers.

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PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR AGAINST ATTEMPT TO LEGALISE POKER (Update) Rendell wants to be sure that state gambling expansion is a safe bet The governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell dampened hopes of a legalisation of poker in the state anytime soon when he reacted sharply to reports that a member of the state legislature was framing such a Bill. The governor says that he would reject any legislation seeking to legalise table games before the state has a chance to gauge the success and impact of slot machines, according to an Associated Press report. "We have to make sure that over time, the expansion of gaming is successful, it works well, and whatever negative sides there are to it, that we control them," Rendell told reporters at an unrelated event in the Capitol. "And until we've had a significant test period to see that in operation, I don't think any of these bills should be considered and I wouldn't sign them," he said. State Rep. H. William DeWeese has drafted legislation that would legalise table games at the state's gambling halls. Aides to DeWeese, who is expected to become Pennsylvania's new House speaker in January, dismissed suggestions that poker, blackjack and other table games could be more harmful than slot machines. "There is no practical difference between putting $20 in a slot machine and $20 on a blackjack table," DeWeese's chief of staff, Michael Manzo, told The Philadelphia Inquirer. Under current law, only slot machines are allowed in Pennsylvania's gambling parlors. The first slots parlor, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, opened Nov. 14, and three others are expected to open in the next three months. The Senate's new Republican leader, Dominic Pileggi of Delaware County, seems to agree with the governor, saying that he thinks the state needs a couple of years at least to see how its experiment with slots gambling is going. Gambling proponents say games such as poker and blackjack are needed to attract younger, wealthier gamblers.