This is what they call upping the ante.

Brace yourself for “table games wars.”

A few weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Legislature finally got on board and approved a measure that would add games such as poker, blackjack and roulette to the offerings at the state’s new slots parlors.

That would include Harrah’s Chester.

Of course, that did not sit especially well with our neighbors a few miles south on I-95. That would be Delaware.

They were the first to challenge Atlantic City as a gambling destination when they added slots parlors.

Pennsylvania then matched them. Revenues have been sinking at both Atlantic City and Delaware gambling halls ever since.

So Delaware added sports betting. Their original plan got shot down in the courts, so they were left with parlay betting, packaging bets on three games.

Then, faced with a staggering budget deficit last summer, Pennsylvania legislators decided to expand once again, giving the OK to table games.
Of course, it took them more than 100 days to finalize the budget, and a couple months longer to actually sign off on the table games legislation.

Now it looks like you’ll be able to sit at a poker table on the Chester waterfront sometime this summer.

Obviously, Delaware is envious. The First State, which was first in slots, was second in table games. But they’re not wasting any time in getting in on the action.

Gov. Jack Markell Thursday signed legislation putting the state in the table games business.

Now the race is on. Delaware believes they should be able to get table games up and running in four months. That might put them slightly ahead of Pennsylvania, which has targeted mid-summer as their start date.

Why do I think it might be sooner.

Can you say Memorial Day weekend?

Bet on it.