Vereb Votes 'No' on Gambling Expansion

Rep. Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) released the following statement regarding his vote against expanding Pennsylvania's gaming industry to include table games:

"I cannot in good conscious vote for a bill that was rammed through the legislative process and appeals to too many special gaming interests. The House Democratic leaders used bully tactics and dishonest parliamentary procedures to limit open debate on legislation that will have severe effects on the residents of this Commonwealth. It is disheartening to watch such a flawed piece of legislation pass through the House.

"It's a well known fact that the original gaming bill has needed fixed since the day it was signed into law. This was our opportunity to fix the errors of the past and bring meaningful reform to Pennsylvania's gaming industry. The bill that was passed by the House today is as flawed as the bill that originally legalized slots. Since elected to the House of Representatives in 2007, I have fought to clean up state government and change the way the House does business. I thought that we were on our way to making significant changes, but sadly, the floor activities of the past two weeks prove that we have returned to the days of backroom deals and political games."