In for a dime
One way Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to pay for a smidgen of Gov. Ed Rendell’s original education plan is by expanding state-sanctioned gambling. That gambling will expand beyond Rendell’s original proposal – slot machines at horse racing tracks – is a given.
But will this produce the anticipated revenues? That’s not a sure thing. For many politicians, gambling has become a revenue panacea for what ails the commonwealth.
What happens if the expansion of legalized gambling doesn’t generate the revenues that are needed? It could happen. There’s a lot of competition for gambling dollars, and the situation is only going to become more so.
Once the state becomes hooked on gambling revenue, the only way to keep up is to offer bigger payoffs or further expansion. When it comes to state-sanctioned gambling, it’s in for a dime, in for a dollar.