Rep. H. William DeWeese is planning to pass a bill to legalize table games, such as poker and blackjack, in Pennsylvania’s gambling halls.

Currently, only slot machines are allowed in the gambling parlors and there’s only one slots parlor in Pennsylvania. Michael Manzo, DeWeese’s chief of staff, said that table games aren’t more harmful than slot machines. "There is no practical difference between putting $20 in a slot machine and $20 on a blackjack table."

The permit will allow Pennsylvania to compete with other states that allow table games, such as West Virginia. Allowing more games will generate more revenues for property tax relief.

However, legalizing table games won’t be easy, especially among democrats. "There are people who would like table games. “There are people who would like keno. There are people who would like machines at bars and restaurants. That's where the difficulty lies, in doing something more."