Pennsylvania Gaming Board Approve Rules for Casino Table Games
In a favorable scenario, casino operators in the state of Pennsylvania would be able to offer casino table games like craps to its loyal players on July 4th, 2010.
When Gov. Ed Rendell approved a casino gaming bill in January 2010 permitting Pennsylvania's slot machine facilities to add casino table games, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced that it would take six to nine months to get the casino games up and running.
After the Gaming Board's meeting on February 17th, 2010 when a second set of temporary rules was approved for the casino table games, Board Head Gregory C. Fajt said that he expects the casino games to be launch sooner. Fajt said that the Gaming Board wants to get the casino games online as soon as possible but do not want to rush the whole process.
The board's staff got a push on creating the regulations, thanks to the state legislature's prolonged budget discussions last fall that included approving the casino table games legislation. The gaming law permits the gaming board to enforce temporary rules for the casino games, bypassing a 9 to 24 regulatory review process.
The temporary rules will be in effect for two years, after which they will be subject to the standard regulatory review process. The regulations approved on February 17th, 2010 will encompass training for casino table games dealers and specifications for table games.
Casino dealers would have to undergo training at an accredited dealer school or a licensed casino facility or have at least six months of casino table games experience in another state. Aside from how to run the games, casino dealers would have to be trained in immediately recognizing problem gamblers and in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Gaming facilities that are planning to conduct their own training, like the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in East Hanover Township, are required to pass their training programs to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for approval. The rules also require prospective casino dealers to pass a live table exam before they can begin work.
2010-03-04
Sophie White
