As state gambling expands, casinos’ interest in area lacking
Trending
IOANNIS PASHAKIS/ Sun-Gazette
Doug Harbach of the state’s Game Control Board spoke to members of the Kiwanis club on the current landscape of gambling in the state on Thursday.
The state's expansion of gambling is planned to bring gaming to truck stops, airports and places online, but companies aren't showing interest in opening up a mini-casino in Lycoming County just yet, Doug Harbach, of the state Gaming Control Board, said during a talk on Thursday.
Legislation signed last year by Gov. Tom Wolf allowed for casinos to begin to look at sports wagering, fantasy sports, mini-casinos, internet gaming and placing terminals in airports and truck stops.
Harbach, the board's director of communication, spoke to the city's Kiwanis Club about what the gambling expansion means for the state and the options that will be available to residents.
"There are six areas that the legislature can decide to place in front of us as the regulator for gaming expansion and we are working on all of these as we speak," he said.
Casinos recently bid on areas to place new mini-casinos, which would allow for 750 slot machines and 40 tables, but Harbach said while companies are looking at middle population areas, he wasn't aware of a company looking at Lycoming County.
"Nobody stepped up that said they'd like to see one in Williamsport," Harbach said. "They could go there in the future but there hasn't been a casino who has said they want one there."
Nine casinos have petitioned the board to allow them to release mobile games into the market that Harbach said would allow players to play anything from table games to slot machines from their homes.
Before internet games can be rolled out however, Harbach said the board is dedicated to making sure there are methods to keep people under 21 years of age from playing and those that can't control their spending from playing too much.
Sports wagering also recently has been allowed in the state and could be available to play as soon as by the end of the year, Harbach said, adding that the process has been slowed parly due to high tax rates placed on the new addition.
"Pennsylvannia's legislature put the tax rate pretty high on sports wagering at 36 percent," he said. "Casinos aren't racing to get into it yet."