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State gaming board gives city $150K to fight illegal betting

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is giving Philadelphia's District Attorney's Office $150,000 combat illegal gambling in the city.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is giving Philadelphia's District Attorney's Office $150,000 combat illegal gambling in the city.

DA Seth Williams said the money would be used to help pay salaries of members of his office's Gaming Control Task Force.

"This money will help us to continue to not only be tough but also smart on crime," Williams said in a statement. "The crimes associated with illegal gambling have grown over the past few years in Philadelphia. . ."

"Since Pennsylvania casinos are legally generating millions of dollars per day in tax revenue for our citizens and employing more than 14,000 persons, it is important that law enforcement have the tools to thwart illegal gambling activities that may jeopardize that success," Gaming Control Board Chairman William H. Ryan, Jr. said in a statement.

In December, 2008, the DA's Office used money provided by the Gaming Control Board to create the Task Force, consisting of a prosecutor, detective, and law clerk.

Since then, outside funds for the task force have run but it remained in place to investigate and prosecute illegal gambling, including sports betting, video poker machine and mechanical slot operations.