Pennsylvania wants to dig deep into Sheldon Adelson’s pockets to fill the state’s gaping budget hole.

Starting next week, the state will levy a higher tax on table games of 12 casinos operating in Pennsylvania – and the biggest part of that will come from Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

News website The Morning Call has projected that Sands will shell out some $4.6 million a year after legislators approved the tax increase from 14 percent to 16 percent in order to sustain the state’s $31.6 billion budget for 2016-17.

Casino operators – led by Sands – have spent months objecting to the propose tax hike, saying that higher taxes usually lead to fewer free meals, rooms and gambling for the millions of people who wager in casinos statewide each year.