Could gambling expansion grab a seat at the Pennsylvania budget negotiating table? In a sense, it already has. Lawmakers in both the Republican-controlled Senate and House are vetting proposals for Internet-based gaming with the potential to turn every digital device – at least those in the hands of adults – into a “gaming position.” Another perennial, authorizing gaming machines in bars and taverns, is also getting a fresh look. This is not, in bettors’ parlance, a lock. The Republican leaders still publicly list pension reform and liquor privatization as their top budget priorities. It is also not clear that either…

Go Erie – With top Pennsylvania state lawmakers and Gov. Tom Corbett seeking ways to plug a projected budget deficit, they are considering expanding lottery gambling and, possibly, legalizing online gambling. The Senate Finance Committee will hear testimony Wednesday that focuses partly on adding keno to the Pennsylvania Lottery’s game lineup. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, of Delaware County, said there hasn’t been much controversy about introducing keno, but that debate is more likely to center on where the game’s proceeds should go. In the meantime, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee is studying the…

Pennsylvania online gambling is waiting and watching. Even as New Jersey and Delaware are scheduled to launch Internet gambling this fall, with both states trying to counter the loss of gambling dollars to neighboring states. But don’t expect Pennsylvania to quickly follow suit, William H. Ryan Jr., chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, said Tuesday at a conference in West Philadelphia. “I don’t see any real groundswell right now for Internet gaming,” Ryan said during a panel discussion on regulation with officials from New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Florida. Ryan spoke of a more likely route to gambling expansion…