Budget threatens Pa. slots

Reminiscent of the New Jersey budget impasse last year that shut the Meadowlands and Atlantic City casinos, the slots areas at Pennsylvania’s five racetracks could be forced to shut down as soon as July 7 if a 2007-08 budget agreement can’t be reached between Governor Ed Rendell and state legislators. The Meadows, Harrah’s Chester and Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs are included.

The slots areas would be forced to close by law because 16 Revenue Dept. employees who run the central casino control computer and monitor the slot operations would be temporarily out of a job because of the impasse. According to Tuesday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, as many as 26,000 non-essential state workers could be affected. Essential workers, such as state police, prison workers and emergency management officials, would remain on the job.

The Post-Gazette noted that although Gov. Rendell and the legislature have never reached a budget agreement by July 1, in three of his four years in office a settlement was agreed upon within a week after the deadline. An impasse in 2003 was not resolved until December.

« Back