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Critic: Pennsylvania Governor May Want More than Slots

"But the former mayor's longtime advocacy of riverboat casinos makes gambling critics, and perhaps gaming investors believe that before Rendell leaves office, routlette players will have a friend in Pennsylvania.

"`As recently as his gubernatorial campaign, he talked about other forms of gaming,' said Michael Geer, president of Pennsylvanians Against Gambling Expansion.

"…Suspicions that Rendell will want to take gambling farther are rooted in his past comments and the revenue needs of a governor with an expensive policy agenda and a $2 billion deficit.

"Rendell was a strong advocate for riverboat casinos as mayor, counting gambling revenue in his long-range financial plans and assigning a deputy chief of staff to pursue the issue. In the end, he resigned himself to the fact it wouldn't get state approval.

"As a gubernatorial candidate last year, Rendell made race track slots a major plank of his education platform. But ocassional comments at campaign stops indicated an openess to Keno in Pennsylvania, and perhaps even riverboats.

"…But the force most likely to drive Rendell in the direction of more gambling is that he needs $2 billion to fill a budget hole, $1.5 billion to fund education and property tax reductions, and even more for all-day kindergarten and smaller classes…"

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