The potential for thousands of new jobs in Pennsylvania rides on the tax rate set by lawmakers as they consider allowing casinos to run table games.

The minimum state tax rate on games such as blackjack, poker and dice needs to be 16 percent to produce enough revenue to help balance the state budget, Gov. Ed Rendell said Monday. But setting the rate too high could "kill the golden goose" and discourage casinos, he said.

"If the tax rate and fees are too expensive, we simply won't be able to install them," said David LaTorre, a spokesman for the Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington County. "Table games are more labor-intensive. We employ about 1,000 people for 3,700 slot machines, but we'll need to hire about 700 people and add millions more in payroll for just 65 tables."

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