Pa. casinos pay up for table games licenses

HARRISBURG, Pa.

The state's nine operating casinos and a tenth that is expected to open soon in Philadelphia have paid their licensing fees to begin operating table games.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said Wednesday that the state has received $165 million as the casinos prepare to start rolling dice and dealing cards in July.

The deadline for payment was Tuesday. Each owed $16.5 million.

Pennsylvania lawmakers legalized table games at existing slot-machine casinos in January as part of a deal with Gov. Ed Rendell to settle last year's protracted budget stalemate and raise additional revenue.

The state will take 14 percent of the casinos' revenue from table games, while 2 percent will go to local counties and municipalities. At the end of the second year, the gross tax rate will drop to 14 percent.