Pa. Lawmakers Up The Ante On Small Games Of Chance

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - Pennsylvania lawmakers say they are optimistic that the law governing small games of chance run by non-profit organizations will soon get its first major update in more than two decades.

The House Gaming Oversight Committee last week approved a bill overhauling the small games of chance law the same week that the full state Senate passed its own version of the same legislation.

The sponsor of the House bill, Harrisburg-area Republican Sheryl Delozier, says revising the law is important with tight budgets all around

"We don't have the grants to be giving out, we don't have the dollars to be supporting the baseball teams and the fields, and providing our high schools with some extra-curricular activities, or the parades or supporting our veterans or certainly our fire companies."

Chester County Republican Curt Schroder, chairman of the House committee, said that the Senate vote made him optimistic a bill can get to the governor in the current legislative session.

"There are some differences -- although I don't believe any insurmountable differences at all -- between the House version and the Senate version. Nonetheless, there will have to be some sit downs and discussions."

Among the key provisions of the bills: both the House and Senate versions would increase the prize limit for each "chance" from $500 to $1,000. The House version would raise the weekly prize limit from $5,000 to $30,000. The Senate would cap it at $25,000.

Reported by Harrisburg Bureau Chief Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio 1060