Story by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA

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HARRISBURG — As top Pennsylvania lawmakers worked to reach a long-awaited budget deal, three Barstool Sports influencers sent a message to their millions of followers: Harrisburg wants to tax your fun.

Publicly, there was no plan to do so. But behind the scenes, top Democrats were trying to sell their GOP counterparts on a deal that would increase taxes on sports betting and online gaming to fund public transit, according to a source close to the talks.

No such provision appeared in the final budget signed on N

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