Pennsylvania: Get Ready to Gamble in Bars

We're running out of spots where we can't gamble, actually.

PennLive reports the Pennsylvania House is set to vote today on a bill that would allow bars and taverns the opportunity to offer small games of chance to customer—a bill that initially drew opposition from fraternal groups (like the American Legion) who do not want competition for their own legally sanctioned games.

The bill was changed so that small clubs—those that make less than $40,000 annually from gaming—can keep the first $20,000 of proceeds in full. That much will be exempt from a rule—which will apply to the entire proceeds of bigger clubs—requiring that 60 percent of gambling revenues go to charity.  Republican Rep. Kurt Masser said: “I think we’re truly dealing with two different customer bases, and the bars ought to have the same entertainment opportunities for their customers that the bars have had for years,” Masser said.