A newspaper article this week includes quotes from the new chairs of the respective gaming committees in both chambers on the topics of Internet gaming and the casino host fee for counties and municipalities. The House majority chair gave his opinion that he feels it is doubtful Internet gaming will have any impact on the 2016-17 fiscal year (that concludes June 30th).
“It’s just not going to happen. I never thought it was going to happen when we approved the budget…I anticipate that we’re going to have a shortfall.” We wrote about slowing revenue last year.
There was a bit more bullishness on getting a casino host fee fix. According to the article the fact that places that do not host casinos wanting a share of host fee money may have been an issue. Perhaps there was/is a desire to make the host fee more like the Marcellus Shale Impact Fee, where counties with drilling activity receive money but all counties get an allocation.
Here in Pittsburgh the Rivers Casino came to a voluntary arrangement with Pittsburgh for $10 million and, according to a casino spokesman, a deal with Allegheny County for its host fee (about $5 million or so) is being worked out.
