Slot machines could be on their way to Harrisburg International Airport and other airports in Pennsylvania.
State Rep. Nick Kotik (D-Allegheny) has proposed allowing slot machines in the six international airports in Pennsylvania. They include: Harrisburg, Erie, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre and Lehigh Valley.
Kotik says under his plan a portion of the proceeds from gambling at the airports would go toward revitalizing the facilities.
To read a co-sponsorship memo Kotik released Monday, click here.
Kotik notes there are only two airports in the country which allow slot machines. They’re in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada.
“In a report issued on May 7, 2014 by the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, consultants hired to undertake a study of the state’s current condition and future viability of casino gaming highlighted the potential of Pennsylvania authorizing slot machines at certain airports as a way to generate new gaming revenue. The study concluded that Pennsylvania could generate significant revenue from this authorization, and there would likely be no cannibalization of existing Pennsylvania casinos with the addition of these new machines,” Kotik wrote in his co-sponsorship memo.
Kotik says the slot machines would be placed after TSA checkpoints, so that only ticketed passengers would have access to them.
