PLAINS TOWNSHIP -- Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill Wednesday that loosens liquor laws in the state.
Grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants that currently sell beer will be able to sell wine.
The bill also allows state stores to be open on holidays and removes Sunday restrictions on the sale of alcohol.
And, "last call" at casinos in Pennsylvania will soon be a thing of the past.
This new law would allow casinos like Mohegan sun in Plains Township to sell alcohol all day, every day.
There's a lot of mixed reactions on the bill that just became law Wednesday afternoon.
The next time you head to the casino, you may be able to drink whatever you want, whenever you want. A new state law now gives Pennsylvania casinos the option to purchase a license to sell and serve alcohol 24 hours a day.
"It's probably not the best idea because this area has been known for high alcohol. There has been a lot of DUIs and all that. I mean it should be a limit to only at night where less people are on the road," said Adam Gatef of Edwardsville.
At Mohegan Sun in Plains Township, the last call is at 2 a.m. The casino has not commented on whether or not they plan to purchase a license that would allow them to sell drinks all day and all night.
Up until now, casinos in Pennsylvania could only sell alcohol 19 hours a day. People we spoke with think selling it 24 hours a day is a bad move.
"Yeah, exactly, safety. You know, accidents, DUIs, you know, there's a lot of people that come down here for hours and you don't know how much their drinking and what they're drinking," said Ray Morgan of West Pittston.
Wilkes-Barre Township Police Chief Ron Smith says his department doesn't patrol Plains Township where the casino is, but his jurisdiction does get a lot of casino traffic. He doesn't think the new law will cause any issues, but his department is ready if changes are necessary.
"It's a wait and see. We will see how the statistics pan out. If there is an increase in the amount of DUIs in a specific sector at a specific time, we will react to that."
A spokesperson for Governor Tom Wolf tells Newswatch 16 under the new law, casinos have the option to purchase the license to sell alcohol 24 hours a day. We asked representatives at Mohegan Sun if they plan on purchasing one of those licenses. they said at this time they have no comment.
