Tony Moscato, CommissionerDoug Harbach, Director of CommunicationsPA State Tax Collectors Assoc. – October 14, 2016
If You Thought I Was Going to Address…
Managing the deer population?
Raccoons under your deck?
A Bear in a tree?
I’m not.
Those subjects fall under the
“PA Game Commission”
Legal Gaming in PA and the PGCB’s Role in
Ensuring Integrity at Casinos
Revenue Generation from Casinos and
Where the Money Goes
Funding for Property Tax
Relief Programs
Taxpayer Knowledge of School Property Tax
Reduction from Gaming Revenue & Suggestions
Lottery Games (1972)
Small Games of Chance (Clubs1988; Taverns 2014)
Dept. of Agriculture Horse Racing Commission
Gaming Control
Board
There are 4 types
of gambling
legally permitted
in Pennsylvania
Who regulates
each of these
forms of legal
gambling?
PA Lottery (under Revenue Dept.)
Liquor Control, Revenue Dept., State Police,
County Treasurer
Horse Racing
Casinos (2006)
12 licensed and
in operation
1 licensed but
not in operation
Gaming Act currently permits 15 casinos
1 Racino & 1 resort
license available
A Staff of 300
Seven Member Board
Primary objective is to ensure that
casinos are safe and gaming is fair
Operates at No Taxpayer Expense -
Casinos Reimburse Commonwealth
$5,402,219Fines to
casinos and
other license
holders
575Number of
persons
banned from
PA casinos
The Board assures
integrity of gaming
through a comprehensive
regulatory framework and
when necessary fines for
various violations.
The board also bans
from the casinos certain
individuals who have
proven to be
detrimental to the
industry’s integrity.
The Gaming Control Board works with its partner
oversight agencies to protect the public interest in
areas such as…
Smoking
in Casinos
Crime
in Casinos
Problem
Gambling
Responsible
Gambling
Millions of dollars per year from casino’s revenues goes to outreach and
treatment services through PA Dept. of Drug & Alcohol Programs
Ads
Hotline phone numbers to
get help must appear on all
ads and on all casino ATMs
Casino revenue trains treatment
providers across the state to provide free
outpatient counseling and therapy for
problem gamblers.
Web
Site
The PGCB offers a Self-Exclusion ListIndividuals request to be banned from entering all of PA’s casinos
To date, 10,134 persons have voluntarily requested placement on the list.
Each are subject to arrest for trespass and forfeiture of winnings if caught in casino.
2,277 individuals have been caught on the gaming floor at least once.
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
60764058
Male
Female
Does not permit smoking in an
area adjacent to the gaming floor.
Partially Permitted under the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2008
Casinos are permitted to designate 50%
of the casino floor to permit smoking.
Patrons should report any
violations to PGCB or casino
security.
Areas must be clearly marked,
though separating walls are not
required.
Eyes on the FloorEach casino pays for:
10 PGCB Representatives
11 Full-time PA State Police
Dozens of casino security agents
“Worst Place to Commit a Crime”
Average of 13.6 arrests per month per casino1,965 arrests statewide in 2015* including:
Theft: 192
Disorderly conduct: 175
Non Aggravated Assault: 141
Forgery/Counterfeiting: 119
Public Drunkenness: 80
Eyes in the SkyAll patrons on gaming
floor are watched live
and recorded through
hundreds of cameras
Slot Machines
Introduced in 2006
26,229 machines in operation
All connected to central system
Table Games
Introduced in 2010
1,140 in operation
Not connected to central system
10%?
90%?
30%?
70%?
By law, minimum payout over “life of the machine”
must be 85%.
All slot machines and games are checked in the
PGCB’s Gaming Lab before deployment in casinos
Do you know, on the average, what slot machines pay out?
All 26,000+ slot
machines are
connected to a central
computer system in
Harrisburg
All taxes due are
invoiced and collected
daily by EFT from each
casino
…resulting in $1.4 billion yearly.
54% tax rate on slots and 14% tax rate on tables generates
$3.7 million of tax revenue per day …
The total yearly economic impact of the
commercial gaming industry
in PA is nearly $6.2 billion.American Gaming Association – “Impacts of the Commercial Gaming Industry in PA”
Where does the tax revenue go…
Property Tax Reduction
Sustainability of the Horse Racing Industry
New Dollars to Casino Host Local Governments
Statewide Economic Development Projects
General Fund - Lowering of Overall Tax Burden to Citizens
County Fairs & Fire Company Grants
$780 million
$255 million
$155 million
$120 million
$ 90 million
$ 32 million
Annual
Property Tax/Rent Rebate ProgramFunded jointly by lottery and slot machine revenue
Primarily to senior citizens
Can be received jointly with general property tax relief
General Property Tax Relief Under Act 1 of 2004Funded only by slot machine revenue
Applicable only to local school tax
Available to ALL homeowners for primary residence only
Open to claimants or spouses age 65 or
older, widows or widowers age 50 or older
and permanently disabled age 18 or older
Eligibility threshold determined utilizing
only ½ of Social Security Income
The deadline in 2016 is December 31st
Income Max Rebate
$0 to $8,000 $650
$8,001 to $15,000 $500
$15,001 to $18,000 $300
$18,001 to $35,000 $250
$278.3 million in
rebates to 590,000
households across
the state in 2015
Get info and forms at:
www.revenue.pa.gov/GeneralTaxInformation/PropertyTaxRentRebateProgram
Forms and assistance in completing is normally available through
the district offices of PA State Senators and Representatives
Based on each school district’s 2003-2004 average daily membership and
property tax reduction index (PTRI). The PTRI for each school district
is the sum of its rankings on the following four factors divided by 1,000:
The district’s 2002 personal income per 2003-2004 average daily membership
The district’s 2004-2005 market value/personal income aid ratio
The district’s 2002-2003 equalized millage
The district’s 2002-2003 school tax ratio, which is the 2002-2003
local tax revenue collected divided by 2002 personal income
Determined through a formula in the 2004 Taxpayers Relief Act
For the 2016 general property tax reductions, approximately
$528 million was sent to 500 school districts
$86.3 million went to Philadelphia for wage tax reduction
The number of approved homesteads and farmsteads
to receive a reduction was almost 2.8 million with an
average reduction of $211
8 school district, through a referendum, elected to increase
Earned Income Tax for additional property tax relief
Smallest was $52 in Palmyra SD/Lebanon County
Highest was $569 in Allentown/Lehigh County
$19.1 million from slot machine revenue
to 16 area school districts and117,250 primary residences.
2016 will be 9th Year of School Property
Tax Reduction in York County
School
District
Est. 2016
Reduction
School
District
Est. 2016
Reduction
Central York $113 South Eastern $185
Dallastown Area $132 South Western $157
Dover Area $181 Southern York County $178
Eastern York $139 Spring Grove Area $125
Hanover Public $183 West Shore $84
Northeastern York $203 West York Area $177
Northern York $124 York City $539
Red Lion Area $190 York Suburban $121
The bill should clearly label
the reduction as the
Homestead Exclusion or
Credit including how much
reduction the homeowner
is receiving.
Almost ALL PA homeowners signed up properly to receive school
property tax reduction, but think they are not receiving. Why?
1) There is no rebate check – must look for reduction on bill
2) Don’t see their bill – escrow tax money
3) Bill does not clearly show casino revenue
as source of the reduction
Revenue for the reduction comes from taxes collected from
the play of slot machines in Commonwealth casinos.
…made available through tax
revenue from the play of slot
machines at Pennsylvania
casinos.
The reduction is paid for from revenues collected by the
Commonwealth from casinos and slot machine gaming.
Tax revenue from the play of slot machines at
Pennsylvania casinos funds this reduction.
www.gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov
Available at this address as a PDF
gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/?p=273
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Doug Harbach, Director of Communications
www.gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov
@PAGamingControl