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Video Poker Bill Passes
 
July 28, 2009

Some were surprised, some were not, but the video poker bill passed in the state of Pennsylvania this week. There were many that thought that bringing in video poker was just becoming over kill for a state that is already inundated with slot machines, but then many also thought that they could bring in more money from those people who don’t necessarily like playing a standard slot machine. The video poker machines are thought to entertain a whole other portion of the population.
 
Many thought that the video poker machines were a good idea simply because they were going to help those that want to go to college. The bill would legalize and tax video poker machines in bars and the money would go toward helping many students go to college.
 
The state House Gaming Oversight Committee approved the bill with a 14-12 vote – which many think was much closer than they had originally thought that it might be. It had originally stalled with a tied vote, but ended with 11 Republicans and one Democrat against the video poker machines.
 
Democratic Rep. Curtis Thomas of Philadelphia had changed his stance on the second vote – but he says that Temple University and other state related schools should benefit from it. He says that he is unhappy about the fact that they currently don’t.  Governor Ed Rendell says that the video poker machines are going to generate more than $500 million for tuition costs at the various state owned universities, or the 14 community colleges.