HARRISBURG -- Gov. Ed Rendell is optimistic the General Assembly will finally send him a bill legalizing table games at casinos by the first week of December.

"There has been significant progress at two recent meetings,'' he said today.

Disputes have centered over what tax rate should be charged on a casino's net revenue from table games; whether a casino's host county and/or municipality should get a small additional share of tax; and whether the state's two small resort-hotel casinos should have table games as well as if they can have more than the 500 slot machines authorized by a 2004 law.

Mr. Rendell said he expects the tax rate for the state to be about 16 percent, which is what he wants. Many legislators also expect an additional 1 or 2 percent tax for localities.

The state needs to get $200 million in table-games revenue to balance the 2009-10 state budget, so legislators feel pressure to enact a bill as soon as possible. Also, 28 major educational and cultural institutions won't get their annual state appropriations until the table games bill is approved, and they are anxious for action on the issue.

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