New Pennsylvania Law Allows Truck Stops to Have Gambling Terminals

If a truck stop meets certain requirements, it can have up to five video gambling terminals installed.

November 03, 2017

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Pennsylvania truckers may soon be able to pull into a truck stop to refuel and gamble, the Allentown Morning Call reports. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation into law this week that expands gambling within the state. The new regulations would allow truck stops that meet certain criteria to install up to five video gambling terminals (VGTs).

The legislation mandates that truck stops must have diesel islands, sell an average of 50,000 gallons of diesel monthly for the past year, provide at least 20 truck parking slots, sit on at least 3 acres of land not owned by the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and operate a convenience store. The truck stop also must hold a state lottery sales license.

Trexler Plaza Truck Stop appears to meet the requirements and would consider adding VGTs to its drivers’ lounge, said general manager Raj Singh. “It’s something we would consider down the road possibly, but we need a lot more information about what’s going on,” he said.

Currently, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota and West Virginia allow retail gambling, such as VGTs at truck stops, according to Seven other states already offer retail gambling, which includes VGTs at truck stops, according to the Spectrum Gaming Group. Last year, Illinois increased the number of outlets offering VGTs to nearly 6,000 locations with close to 25,000 VGTs.

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