Poker, Blackjack and Roulette
The bill will allow Pennsylvania casinos to add new table games like Poker, Blackjack and Roulette to the fold. Larger racetrack-based casinos and stand-alone slot parlors will be able to host up to 250 new tables while smaller resort casinos will be allowed to add up to 50 tables to their facility.

But while this is great news for the casinos and for gamers, don't expect to see these new tables to go live within the coming weeks.

A Complex Process
According to Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Chairman (PGCB) Gregory C. Fajt, the bill will start a "complex and thorough process" and he estimates that it could take up to nine months before the new tables can go live.

"The challenge to oversee a managed expansion at Pennsylvania's casinos from a regulatory perspective is now before us and the Gaming Control Board is well-prepared," said Fajt. "At the same time, no one should believe that implementing table games is as simple as turning on a spigot. We will move the process along as quickly as possible, but will not sacrifice thoroughness for speed."

Gaming Control Board Executive Director Kevin O'Toole also pointed to the fact that the process won't move as quickly as some people might think.

"In many ways, establishing table games will involve much of the same tasks performed by the Gaming Control Board over a multi-year period to get the slot machine market up and running", said O'Toole.

The PGCB will have to run background checks on the thousands of new employees that need to be hired for the expansion as well as investigate new manufacturers, suppliers and vendors. Casinos will also have to be checked for surveillance and security while the PGCB itself would have to hire and train additional staff to help with the implementation.

$300 Million In Revenue
The bill was introduced in June 2009 by House Majority Whip Bill DeWeese with hopes that it would create up to 16,000 jobs and contribute US$300 million in revenue to the state in its first year.

"It's not often during a downturn in the economy as we presently are experiencing, that we have the opportunity to create 16,000 jobs and generate upward of $300 million in revenue the first year," said DeWeese. "This expansion will bring additional patrons to the facilities as well because table games appeal to a different type of customer than slot machines. The expanded customer base likely will lead to even more economic development in the surrounding areas."

According to DeWeese, it's the popularity of Poker that helps to make other table games more popular as well. And since Pennsylvania only offered slot games up till now, they need to add table games to be able to compete with neighboring states that do offer a wider variety of casino games.

UIGEA
With progress being made with land-based casinos, we can only hope that the momentum carries over for the online gaming industry's fight against the UIGEA.