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Pennsylvania board debate free drinks

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania – As reporte by the Beaver County Times: "The serving of free alcoholic drinks at casinos could remain uncontrolled, despite the intent of lawmakers and the governor to regulate the practice when they approved the legislation late last year.

"The chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said Wednesday that the seven-member board disagrees over whether to regulate the amount and frequency of free drinks to gamblers or to leave the issue to the casinos' discretion.

"…[Gaming control board Chairman Tad] Decker said the gaming control agency's only obligation is to make sure people aren't getting drunk while gambling and it has 24-hour staff on hand at the casinos for enforcement.

"…Gov. Ed Rendell, who issued a strongly-worded statement calling for state regulation to justify signing the controversial unlimited free drinks bill last November, had little to say.

"…Decker's comments outside a House Appropriations Committee hearing were later tempered by the gaming board's press office, which said that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board would be the lead agency in charge of regulating alcohol at casinos…"

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