PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- With the scheduled launch of casino gambling just hours away, the House and Senate voted Tuesday to pass a last-minute "anti-cheating" bill that defines casino crimes and establishes penalties for them -- steps that supporters said are critical as the Twin River slot parlor in Lincoln begins to offer round-the-clock table games.
The bill, introduced at the behest of the Chafee administration, is needed to "send the message" that the state is serious about preventing any cheating, said House Majority Leader Nicholas Mattiello.
But in a floor debate that lasted about 45 minutes, other House members said the penalties in the bill are too strict and asked why the bill was introduced just two weeks before the table games are supposed to open.