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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 29, 2015 01:20 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Thomas R. Caltagirone |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | PA Video Gaming Act |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that will create the Pennsylvania Video Gaming Act. This bill would legalize video poker for adults aged 21 and older at establishments that are licensed to sell liquor such as bars, taverns and clubs. Under the bill, such establishments may have up to 5 operating video gaming machines. The bill provides that each application for a license must be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee set by the Pennsylvania State Police. The money obtained by this fee will be used for performing a background check. Profits gained from legalizing video poker would be distributed in the following way: 50% to the licensed establishment 20% to the licensed operator 29% to the Municipal Economic Development Fund (created under the act) 1% to the Host Municipality Under this bill, the Department of Revenue shall allocate at least $500,000 annually from the revenue generated for the purpose of treating compulsive gambling in Pennsylvania. The Municipal Economic Development Fund will be a restricted account within the State Treasury. Moneys from this fund would be dispersed by the Department of Community and Economic Development in the form of grants, to municipalities for economic development purposes. This bill will provide an additional, and much-needed, revenue source for local economic development initiatives, while at the same time licensing a practice that is already going on in taverns and clubs throughout the Commonwealth. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. Thank you. |
Introduced as HB1182