HARRISBURG -- The state Gaming Control Board has given its OK for The Meadows casino in Washington County to have movable seats at some or all of its slot machines.

Currently Pennsylvania, like New Jersey, has a regulation requiring fixed seating at all of the slot machines, meaning the seat where a gambler sits is physically attached to the machine.

Meadows officials said yesterday that some patrons prefer movable seats. Such seats would make it easier for physically disabled gamblers who use wheelchairs to get close to the machines, they said.

Currently, the attached seats have to be disconnected and removed, which can take several minutes and cause embarrassment for disabled gamblers, casino officials said.

Some critics fear that movable seating or stools could get knocked over and become a tripping hazard to patrons who are hurrying out of a casino in an emergency.

State Fire Commissioner Edward Mann said that with video surveillance cameras everywhere in a casino, modern sprinkler systems and staff always available on casino floors, patrons should be able to exit a casino safely and quickly.

The decision on seating applies only to The Meadows, even though board members said they dislike making regulations on a piecemeal basis. They urged the casino industry to adopt a position on the seating issue.