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Some residents and casino owners are unsure of why the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is already out of funds considering the
slot machines have been up and running for less than six months. Some simply
attribute it to poor planning on the part of the Gaming Board, and others
feel like this could bode negatively for the future running of slot machines
in the state. No matter which side you rest on though, the fact remains the
same, the slot machines are running, and the Board can not afford to oversee
and regulate the slots because of an empty budget.
So now the Board is looking to the casinos in Pennsylvania that already have
their slot machines up and running, and they are planning on raising the
necessary funds by levying additional taxes on the casinos, and taking
additional funds from the casino’s escrow funds. But this just doesn’t sit
well with the casinos that feel they are being penalized by opening the slot
machines before the rest; most are already griping about the Department of
Revenue stepping in and levying the taxes necessary to fund the Board.
The Board had planned to simple take 5% of the slot machines revenue from
all casinos currently running slot machines. Now, however, the Department of
Revenue has stated that the funds will be raised through a 1.5 percent tax
on gross gaming sales levied on those casinos currently opened.
Additionally, the casinos will pay $800,000 from their escrow funds.
With these steps the Department claims the board will have $5.4 million to
fund operating the Gaming Board and overseeing the slot machines by
summer—June to be exact. And then though, the way the taxes are structured,
once all of the casinos are up and running they will all pay into the
account that funds the Gaming Board.
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