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2005 Gambling Headlines Archive
24 companies seeking slots licenses in Pa.
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Saturday, Dec. 31, 2005
Twenty-four gambling companies, American Indian tribes and developers from Cleveland to Connecticut and Philadelphia to Phoenix have applied for the 14 licenses that will be awarded by Pennsylvania to operate slot-machine gambling parlors, state officials said.
Pa. slots law survives challenge in Supreme Court
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Dec. 30, 2005
The state gaming law survived a constitutional challenge when the state Supreme Court ruled that plaintiff Charles Betters had no standing in the case. Mr. Betters had challenged a provision of the gaming law and asked for an injunction on awarding casino licenses. The provision requires the state to return license fees to casino operators if the Legislature ever changes the composition or authority of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Foxwoods a mighty suitor
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Dec. 30, 2005
In pursuing the site on South Columbus Boulevard between Reed and Tasker Streets, Foxwoods and its partners have placed their bet on a 16-acre location that has been identified as a likely gambling center since Gov. Rendell was mayor of Philadelphia.
Casino dreams hitched to the stars
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Dec. 30, 2005
Assembling teams to develop casinos apparently is a lot like choosing up sides for a pickup basketball game. Four of the five slots parlors that have been proposed for Philadelphia seem to have adopted that team mentality, and the composition of those teams is remarkably similar.
Poll: Slots no sure bet
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, Dec. 30, 2005
Despite glitzy proposals for new casinos, many Pittsburghers are unconvinced that legalized gambling will solve the city's financial problems, according to a poll conducted for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Slot casino applications arrive
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, Dec. 30, 2005
More than 600 boxes with documents related to slot machine casino applications are under "lock and key" in several offices of the state Gaming Control Board, an agency spokesman said. Dozens of staff members will spend months sifting through them, but the bidders' basic proposals — including who they all are — won't be made public until next week.
High-stakes wagers bet on licenses
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
By the end of business yesterday, about two dozen applicants had delivered boxes of paperwork to the gaming control board. The gaming board released no official information about the applications yesterday and will not do so until after reviews of the filings.
Placing their bets
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
Five companies vying for two slots licenses in Philadelphia; statewide, 26 file applications. The latest entrants bring the total to five applicants for a casino project in Philadelphia.
Gaming board to give slots neighbors a say
Easton Express-Times, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
Bethlehem residents, their Allentown neighbors and anyone anywhere a slots parlor is proposed will likely get a chance to tell state officials what they think of the plans. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is exploring "some sort of public forum" in every community eyed by casino developers, board spokesman Nick Hays said.
Editorial | Casino Licenses: Betting on integrity
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
Two questions should be uppermost on the minds of citizens watching this high-stakes process: Will the best slots parlor sites and slots projects be chosen? Will the state's famously insider-political culture warp the process, taint the outcome, and undermine the credibility of this fledgling industry?
Editorial: Lobby reform left awaiting
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
Finding a way to reduce proper ty taxes wasn't the only thing to elude the Legislature's grasp by the end of 2005. Pennsylvania remains the only state in the country not to have a lobbyist disclosure law.
Companies make last dash for slots licenses
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
On the last day to apply, two casino companies on Wednesday revealed plans to jump into a derby for one of 14 licenses state regulators will hand out to operate slot-machine gambling parlors in Pennsylvania. The new entries were submitted by Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. and a partnership spearheaded by the Connecticut Indian tribe that owns one of the world's largest casinos, Foxwoods Resort Casino. Both hope to land one of two licenses set aside for Philadelphia.
Gambling heavyweights spend millions on casino applications
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
According to the 2004 law providing for the casinos, the gaming board must consider each proposal's potential for job creation, economic development, history of success, promotion of tourism and demand for public transportation and other city services.
Another competitor quits slots license race
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
MTR Gaming removed itself from the race to build a casino in Pittsburgh. That leaves four possible casino sites in the city: Forest City Enterprises' proposed Station Square casino; the Pittsburgh Penguins-Isle of Capri's in Uptown; Alco Parking owner Merrill Stabile's on the North Shore near PNC Park; and Detroit businessman Don Barden's on the North Side between the Carnegie Science Center and West End Bridge.
MTR puts all chips on Summit
Erie Times-News, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
As MTR Gaming Group Inc. moved ahead with plans for its horse racing track and casino in Summit Township, it dropped out of the running for what would have been a $1 billion venture in Pittsburgh.
Atlantic City no longer haven for seniors
Erie Times-News (Associated Press), Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
Rejuvenated by a saucy new casino, trendy clubs and beach bars and a vibrant music scene, Atlantic City is evolving into a nightlife hot spot for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s who once saw it as one big neon-lit retirement home for senior citizens who arrive by the busload to play the slot machines.
Decker: Gaming board working hard to make slots a reality
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
According to the Gaming Industry Observer, the three states to legalize gaming before Pennsylvania — Michigan, New Mexico and New York — each took more than two years from legalization to implementation. Adjust for a couple of delays beyond its control, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is on its way to at least match that performance, while still meeting its most important mandate: protecting the people of Pennsylvania by licensing only economically viable, reputable operators who will run safe, enjoyable and profitable gaming facilities. Tad Decker is chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Slots licenses likely to come late
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
One year after its formation, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board already is behind on its job. Board Chairman Tad Decker recently said it likely will be August before conditional stand-alone slots licenses are issued, the first licenses needed for slots parlors to open their doors. A year ago, board members had predicted those licenses would be issued in early 2006.
Power players look to cash in on slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
Some politically connected insiders, including two fund-raisers for Gov. Rendell, have already begun making money off slots. Some have done it through consulting, others through legal work, and still others by lobbying for gambling companies. Many more stand to profit as partners in slots parlors and the companies that will sell slot machines. And though gambling-board members say politics has not influenced decision-making, experts have decried what they call a heyday for political insiders in Pennsylvania when it comes to slots.
Wagner: Commit casino licensee to new city arena
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005
Using the aged Mellon Arena as a backdrop, state Auditor General Jack Wagner said that the state Gaming Control Board should award the lone Pittsburgh slot machine casino license to a gaming company that promises to fund a new arena for the city.
Slot license application window shuts today
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
It is a red-letter day for the North American gambling industry. Today, competitors for the state's 14 slots parlor licenses must mail their license applications to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. If the ceiling of 61,000 slot machines is reached, Pennsylvania would become the third-largest market in North America, trailing only Nevada and California.
Casino contender calls property owners
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
Even though it has to compete with four other applicants for a slots license in Pittsburgh, Isle of Capri Casinos has started contacting property owners in the Lower Hill District about assembling land for a casino. At least five groups are expected to compete for one license to operate a stand-alone slots parlor in Pittsburgh. [Article includes list details.]
Slots board gets pile of paperwork as filing deadline arrives
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
Though some companies have already turned in theirs, most were putting the finishing touches on their applications for slots licenses up until the final hour. [Artist rendering available.]
G-Day for Pa. for slots applicants
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. announced its plans to seek a gambling license to operate a casino in Philadelphia. The company has entered into an option to purchase land in Philadelphia. It did not specify the exact location or provide details on its proposal.
A sweet spot for slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
Chicago billionaire buys the former Jack Frost sugar refinery parcel along the Delaware for a $450 million casino, marina and hotel complex. [Artists rendering available.]
Two companies confirm filing plans for Valley casinos
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
Two companies interested in building casinos in the Lehigh Valley said that they sent applications to the state gaming board, bringing to four the number of prospective stand-alone casino operators in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos.
Tobyhanna OKs rezoning for Pocono Manor casino
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005
Tobyhanna Township supervisors approved a crucial zoning amendment that would allow gambling and development of a $1.2 billion casino and hotel at the Pocono Manor resort. The 3-1 vote, with one supervisor absent, came following a four-hour public hearing during which more than 300 residents packed the Tobyhanna Elementary School, the majority to voice opposition to the plan and the proposed 234-foot height of the 750-room hotel.
SATISFACTION?
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005
When Gov. Ed Rendell signed the slots legislation into law last year, he did not include any instructions as to how East Hanover officials should deal with the likely increased traffic, litter, crime and wear and tear on their township of 5,332. The township supervisors are frustrated because, under the state gambling law, Dauphin County will end up reaping more slots revenue than the host township. Legislation proposed by Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Lower Paxton, would amend the gaming law to correct the situation.
Betters abandons bid for city's casino license for Hays development
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005
Charles Betters, of Beaver County, had considered making a gaming facility part of Pittsburgh Palisades Park, his proposed 640-acre development in Hays that would include a thoroughbred horse racing track and residential and commercial activity. But he now says the casino doesn't fit into his plans, and he's calling for the city's lone license to be used to help replace the Mellon Arena and keep the Penguins here. [Post-Gazette Correction/Clarification: (Published Dec. 28, 2005) Beaver County developer Charles Betters hopes to include slot machines as part of his proposed 640-acre development in Hays, although he is not applying for Pittsburgh's stand-alone casino license. To get slot machines for the development, he likely must win a court challenge or persuade the state Legislature to amend Pennsylvania's gambling law. The original headline published with this story in Dec. 27, 2005 editions said incorrectly Mr. Betters had abandoned his slots plans. ]
Slots investors face crowded table
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2005
A city that for years had trouble attracting private investment now has at least two competing billion-dollar slots casino proposals. And as the deadline nears for potential operators to submit bids to state regulators in Harrisburg, other developers are promising projects costing $300 million to $400 million for a casino and its amenities — if they win the $50 million slots license for Pittsburgh.
Pens unveil billion-dollar vision for Hill
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005
Pittsburgh First, a nonprofit the groups would form, would transform the Lower Hill District by including a casino, a new 18,000-seat arena between Centre Avenue and Fifth Avenue, and 28 acres of housing and restaurants on the site where Mellon Arena stands. The project could cost more than $1 billion. [Artist rendering available.]
Slots firm considers 3 city sites
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Dec. 23, 2005
Chicago-based Midwest Gaming & Entertainment L.L.C. identified three possible sites for the slots parlor it wants to build - two on the Delaware waterfront and one in South Philadelphia. Midwest will be competing against other companies, including Donald J. Trump's casino company and Planet Hollywood, to win one of two gambling licenses tied to the city.
Penn National gives plans for racino near Harrisburg
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Dec. 23, 2005
The Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course will open with at least 2,000 slot machines in Grantville in 2007 if it is granted a license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in 2006. The $212 million, five-story racino owned by Wyomissing, Pa.-based Penn National would cover 365,000 square feet and include a simulcast area for dog and horse races.
More gambling planned for Poconos
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Dec. 23, 2005
Matzel Development Corp., of Ocean, N.J., said it has acquired the 3,000-acre Pocono Manor Inn & Golf Resort in Mt. Pocono in hopes of opening a casino there. Matzel also said it filed an application today with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in Harrisburg for one of two resort casino licenses authorized in Pennsylvania's 2004 gaming legislation.
Detroit casino firm enters city slots race
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Dec. 23, 2005
A Detroit businessman who is the nation's only African-American casino operator will join the battle for Pittsburgh's slot machine license, with a proposal to build a $300 million to $350 million riverfront complex on land west of Heinz Field. Don Barden, owner of five casinos, including one in Las Vegas, is one of at least six candidates in a field that includes the Penguins and Station Square owner Forest City Enterprises.
Poconos bizman eyes slot license
Philadelphia Daily News, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005
Scranton-area businessman Louis A. DeNaples, the controversial owner of a famed, shuttered ski resort in the Poconos, has applied for a slot-machine gambling license that he said would be the centerpiece of a $360-million redevelopment project. Gov. Rendell has reaped $175,000 in donations linked to DeNaples and a partner in the slots deal, and a lawyer with close ties to DeNaples, William P. Conaboy, sits on the state Gaming Control Board.
2 Western Md. delegates back slots in Allegany Co.
The Morning Call, Friday, Dec. 23, 2005
Two state delegates from far Western Maryland say slot machines in Allegany County make sense. Del. George C. Edwards, a Republican, and Del. Kevin Kelly, a Democrat, have said at two public meetings in the past week that Maryland is losing $800 million annually in potential tax revenues as residents drive to West Virginia and Delaware to play slots.
Pocono builder musters help in bid for slots
The Morning Call, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005
A Scranton businessman with a felony conviction and alleged ties to organized crime has enlisted two former federal prosecutors to support his application for a gaming license for the Mount Airy Lodge resort in the Poconos.
Penguins included in several slots bids
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005
Even if the Penguins do not win their bid for a casino license, the team still could win a new arena from gambling money.
Local bigs in Illinois group seeking slots license
Philadelphia Daily News, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005
Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, an Illinois company planning to apply for one of two state licenses to run slot machine parlors in Philadelphia, named a high-profile group of five local partners. State Sen. Vince Fumo also has ties to some of Midwest's local partners.
Gambling exists through the city, two years before a slots parlor would open
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Monday, Dec. 19, 2005
Pittsburgh City Council planned to vote on zoning restrictions for a city slots parlor — but you don't have to look far to see that gambling already exists across the city.
Is a downtown casino in the cards?
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005
Pennsylvania's gaming law seems to have been written without any thought of tourism. Both Gov. Rendell and Mayor Street have discouraged gambling operators from focusing on Philadelphia's downtown. By permitting only slots parlors, Pennsylvania ensures that its casinos will cater to a more local and poorer population.
Allentown airport sought for slots site
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2005
Penn National Gaming Inc., based in Wyomissing, Pa., may operate a slots parlor on the site of an airport in Allentown with a Philadelphia-based investor, UCH Venture Capital Inc. A spokesman for Penn National, the nation's third-largest gambling company, said it was seeking to buy the 208-acre Queen City Municipal Airport property for the casino project.
Push on for financing new arena
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2005
Efforts to find money to build a replacement for Mellon Arena and to secure the Penguins' future in Pittsburgh are advancing on two fronts. City Council added its voice to those who want Pittsburgh's eventual casino operator to use slot machine revenue to help fund a new arena. The city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority board is expected to vote on possible terms of an agreement with the hockey team to build an arena should it win the slots license from the state.
Who wins, who loses under Senate tax reform plan
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2005
Pennsylvania families making $65,600 or more probably will pay higher taxes if a Senate plan to shift from property taxes to earned income taxes becomes law and voters approve it. The plan pays for the property tax reduction, in part, by raising earned income taxes. The remaining money comes from slots revenues. The plan works like a see-saw.
Rendell wants bigger property tax cuts
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell said he would sign a Senate-passed property tax-cut plan, but he wants more.
Editorial | Slots Casino on the River
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, Dec. 19, 2005
The state's process for awarding slots licenses is perceived to be intensely political. The more players with juice on your team, the better your chances. More and more, Gov. Rendell's slots initiative seems to be living down to its critics' worst fears. It looks like just another trough for the Philly 500 to strap on their bibs and start gorging.
Forum: The game of gaming
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005
The Pittsburgh region will face enormous pressure to get the slots casinos up and running quickly. But John G. Craig Jr. says we must insist on quality and a good deal for Pittsburgh above all.
Neighbors oppose slots at Budd site
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Dec. 16, 2005
A proposal by casino mogul Donald Trump to build a slots parlor at the former Budd Co. site in North Philadelphia is drawing opposition from residents and community groups in Nicetown, East Falls, Allegheny West, Germantown and Tioga.
Penn's Landing slots deal drawing criticism
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Dec. 16, 2005
One day after the Penn's Landing Corp. board reached an agreement with Planet Hollywood that would allow it to pursue a slots casino on the riverfront, several members of the board expressed concern over the way the deal was handled.
Agreement reached on slots background checks
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Friday, Dec. 16, 2005
State troopers will check the criminal records of people working in Pennsylvania's slot-machine industry and perform some full background checks under a deal announced by state gambling regulators.
Lancaster lawmaker moves to outlaw slots in county
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, Dec. 16, 2005
A day after a slot-machine parlor was proposed for Lancaster, a state legislator introduced a bill that would outlaw slot-machine parlors or the manufacture of slot machines in Lancaster County, saying he wanted to keep the area's character intact.
Column: The state's $2.1 billion giveaway
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005
The governor and the Legislature rejected the arguments for holding an auction for slots licenses and now appear to have been terribly wrong.
More want to remove harness panel member
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005
Pressure is mounting for the removal of a state harness racing commissioner accused of benefitting from his wife's ownership of a horse that races on tracks the commission regulates. State Sen. Gerald LaValle, D-Rochester, has added his voice to the call to remove Richard J. Bolte Sr. from the commission if he won't resign.
Progress on slots licensing slow but steady
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Dec. 16, 2005
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is making progress on the issue of licensing slot machine distributor and supplier companies, but it looks like gambling licenses for the first racetrack/casinos won't be issued before August. The seven-member board said that it will begin accepting license applications from would-be slots suppliers and distributors on Tuesday and continue the process until Feb. 28.
Capitol Notebook: Gaming board moves on supplier licenses
The Patriot-News, Friday, Dec. 16, 2005
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board voted 7-0 to sidestep a months-long gridlock over whether to regionalize slot machine supplier licenses. The holdup has threatened to delay the opening of casinos around the state.
Senate, House disagree on property tax cuts
The Patriot-News, Friday, Dec. 16, 2005
In a move toward making a historic change in the way public schools are financed, the state Senate adopted a plan that would shift more of the burden from the property tax to a local income tax.
Casino owners permitted to invest in other casinos
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2005
The state Gaming Control Board issued regulations this month which mean anyone who owns a license for a slot machine casino in the state will be able to hold an interest of as much as one-third in any or all of the other 13 casinos in the state. The Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association fears the regulation said the regulation could detract from a primary purpose of the slots act, which was to boost the horse racing industry in the state.
Slots proposals may be Pa.'s next big secret
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005
Applications from groups seeking slot machine casino licenses in Pennsylvania could remain secret, said state Gaming Control Board spokesman Nick Hays. Members of the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force said they have been counting on being able to review the applications for the city's stand-alone slots parlor to determine the impacts of each proposed site.
Pocono residents decry height of hotel
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005
A proposed hotel and casino at the Pocono Manor resort in Monroe County that could rise as high as 300 feet drew criticism from residents during a hearing. Matzel Development of Oakhurst, N.J., is proposing a $1.2 billion entertainment and gambling complex anchored by a 25-story hotel and casino that, if built, would be the tallest building in the four-county Pocono region.
Lawmakers table tax work for holiday recess
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 205
A plan in the state House of Representatives to eliminate school property taxes appeared to be dead. The plan called for replacing property taxes with a sales tax on a vastly expanded base of goods and services, including clothing, utility bills and college tuition. It would have lowered the sales tax to 5 percent.
Legislature still stymied by problem of tax reform
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005
State lawmakers left the Capitol on Tuesday for a 12-day Thanksgiving holiday without resolving the property tax dilemma that's confounded the General Assembly for more than three decades.
Lottery’s first-ever millionaire raffle will award $5 million in cash prizes new year’s eve
Pennsylvania Lottery press release, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005
Millionaire Raffle, a groundbreaking new game developed by the Pennsylvania Lottery, will create four new millionaires on New Year’s Eve. Millionaire Raffle tickets go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 22, at more than 8,000 Lottery retailers throughout the state. Each of the game’s $20 tickets will offer a 1-in-125,000 chance of winning $1 million. Those are the best odds ever offered by the Pennsylvania Lottery for winning a $1 million prize. Only 500,000 tickets will be sold.
District wants slice of slots money
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005
Bethlehem Area School Board on Monday sent a message to the Legislature about legalized gambling: Show schools the money. Directors voted unanimously to urge state lawmakers and Gov. Ed Rendell to require casinos to pay a host fee to the school districts in which they are built, similar to the fees that will be paid to cities and counties.
Lehigh Valley Tropicana could tower over east Allentown
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005
The biggest news on that front last week was Aztar Corp.'s release of its $525 million plans for a 16-story casino and hotel tower on the Agere Systems property in east Allentown. The proposed Lehigh Valley Tropicana would become the city's third-tallest building, and would stick out — er, dominate the landscape — in that part of town.
Aztar is said to plan casino in Allentown
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005
The gambling company that owns the Tropicana casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas is expected to unveil plans to build a casino in Allentown. The Lehigh Valley has turned into a major battleground for one of the two stand-alone licenses outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Lotto ticket's jackpot: forgery, theft charges
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005
A Carlisle-area man walked out of state lottery headquarters yesterday with a check for $853,000 and was immediately arrested at gunpoint and accused of cashing a forged Powerball ticket.
Veon calls foul over no votes on harness licenses
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005
Mike Veon sees political motives behind the no-decision by the state Harness Racing Commission, which denied both applications for a harness-racing track northwest of Pittsburgh. But as the minority whip in the state House of Representatives, Mr. Veon, a Democrat from Beaver Falls, is in a position to play some politics himself.
Las Vegas executives team up to buy The Meadows
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005
Two seasoned gambling executives involved in management of Las Vegas casinos will team with a Los Angeles company to buy The Meadows harness racing track. The Meadows is one of six Pennsylvania racetracks that will receive licenses next year to each operate up to 3,000 slot machines.
Harness track being sold by Magna Entertainment
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005
Magna Entertainment Corp. said it plans to sell The Meadows harness racing track to a casino operator and an investment firm. Millennium Gaming Inc. and Oaktree Capital Management LLC, a Los Angeles-based investment management firm, will pay $225 million for the track and five off-track betting sites under the agreement.
ArtsQuest pitching performance center
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005
ArtsQuest will unveil a $25 million to $30 million plan to locate a Musikfest concert venue and a performing arts center on the south Bethlehem site being developed by BethWorks Now. What will be called ''Steel Stacks'' is envisioned as an arts center on nearly four acres in the shadow of the former Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces, and smack in the middle of the proposed $879 million casino, hotel, shopping and museum district.
MTR threatens layoffs if table games not approved
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005
MTR Gaming Group Inc. said it will begin laying off employees at its Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in West Virginia early next year if the West Virginia legislature doesn't approve table games like blackjack and craps. The company also said pending regulations from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board cast doubt over its ability to participate in a stand-alone slots parlor in Pittsburgh.
MTR: No early slots parlor
The Erie Times-News, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005
Gamblers may be eager to try their luck at Presque Isle Downs' planned permanent slots casino, but a proposed temporary parlor for the site is no longer in play. Presque Isle Downs said it hopes to start operating slots in fall 2006, and it plans to start horse racing in fall 2007.
Forum tackles affordable housing
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005
BethWorks Now developers have painted a gilded image of what a casino would bring to the old Bethlehem Steel plant: preserved industrial buildings, upscale shops and other diversions that will make property values soar and Bethlehem an East Coast tourist stop.
Management shake-up at Harrah’s Atlantic City casinos
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005
Dave Jonas, who served as regional president for Harrah's Entertainment Inc., in charge of four Harrah's casinos in Atlantic City and the development of a slots parlor in Chester, Delaware County, resigned from his post.
Harness racing industry hopes slots lead to a buying frenzy
The Patriot-News, Monday, Nov. 7, 2005
The slumping economy doesn't affect horse sales, but the legalization of slots does.
Forum: Risky business
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005
The growth of gaming in Pittsburgh deserves intense public scrutiny, says Mayor Tom Murphy, and the coming weeks are pivotal. Murphy: "I do not regret, however, using the bully pulpit of the Mayor's Office to demand an open, honest and transparent selection process to ensure that Pittsburgh -- not some gambling casino owner -- gets the most benefit possible from having this new industry in Pittsburgh." [Story links to "Mayor claims 'fix is in' on slots license," Friday, Oct. 28, 2005.]
Meadows begins work on slots casino
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005
The Meadows is taking steps to make room for the slot machine casino to be built at the Washington County harness racing track. Magna Entertainment Corp., the track's owner, has begun engineering work and bidding.
One city's jackpot is neighbor's bust
The Morning Call, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005
As gambling celebrates its 10-year anniversary in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Missouri River town settled by Mormons in the mid-1800s may hold answers for Pennsylvania communities debating the arrival of casinos.
Barden gets Trump deal
Detroit Free Press, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005
Don Barden, one of the nation's wealthiest African-American businessmen, has announced a megamillion-dollar deal with Donald Trump.
Around Pennsylvania
The Patriot-News, Friday, Nov. 4, 2005
Ameristar Casinos Inc. won't seek a slot-machine gambling license on Philadelphia's riverfront, blaming the state's 54 percent tax rate on slots revenues.
Planet Hollywood plans Penn's Landing casino
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Nov. 4, 2005
The owner of the Planet Hollywood chain of theme restaurants presented city officials with plans for a $380 million casino along the Penn's Landing waterfront.
Slots panel's wish list is vague
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Nov. 4, 2005
The Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force gave its first indication of the kind of givebacks it expects from a casino operator, but it did not mention a new arena or any other potential project.
Harness bids rejected in Beaver, Lawrence
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Nov. 4, 2005
The state Harness Racing Commission, which spent more than two years reviewing applications for the state's fourth and final harness racing license, stunned applicants and officials in Beaver and Lawrence counties by rejecting both finalists. Commissioners refused to explain their decision and said their rationale would not be available until written documents are to be released.
Senate approves revisions to slots law
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005
The Senate passed several changes to Pennsylvania's slots gambling law, and supporters and opponents said the revisions could ease lingering concerns about organized crime or political favoritism.
Senate OKs slots ethics code
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005
The state Senate voted to prohibit politicians and their families from having any financial interest in casinos and to prevent state gaming regulators from taking any role in political campaigns.
Council to seek art, public space for slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005
Attention casino developers: Don't try to plunk a bland brick box topped with flashing neon lights into historic Philadelphia. And we want art, public spaces and landscaping, too, says a casino zoning ordinance that City Councilman Frank DiCicco is expected to introduce in City Council.
Racetrack owner pushes back opening of casino
The Patriot-News, Friday, Oct. 28, 2005
The owner of Penn National Race Course in Grantville has pushed back its projected opening of a slot-machine casino at the track from the spring of 2007 to the third quarter of that year.
Candidate says Bethlehem should get half of slots fees
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005
If a slots casino opens in Bethlehem, Northampton County should give half its fees to the city to deal with gambling-related problems, County Council candidate Lamont McClure said.
Penguins' plan for slots license gets an assist
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005
Two local hockey fans hope to fashion a power play of their own to help the Pittsburgh Penguins secure the license for the city's slot machine casino so the team can use the revenue to build a new arena and stay in Pittsburgh. Founders of the Slots for Mario Web site plan to present 25,000 signatures.
Potential parlor owners ante up $330,000 for politicians
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Monday, Oct. 17, 2005
Entrepreneurs vying for licenses to run gambling halls in Pennsylvania have contributed at least $330,000 to political candidates and causes since the state legalized slot machines 14 months ago, campaign finance records show. The recipients included the five men — Gov. Ed Rendell and the four top Republican and Democrat leaders in the Legislature — who appointed the members of the state board that will award the slots licenses.
Slots gambling hits a bump in the road
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005
Pennsylvania's unprecedented attempt to create a layer of middlemen to supply slot machines to the state's casinos is beginning to bog down the introduction of gambling to the commonwealth and delay the promised stream of revenue to the state treasury and local school districts.
Online graphic: Playing the slots in Pennsylvania
Plan to create slots jobs risky
The Morning Call, Monday, Oct. 17, 2005
Pennsylvania's plan to create a niche industry of slot machine middlemen is shaping up as a huge gamble that may offer little payout. ''We thought the idea of distributors was bogus,'' said Drew Crompton, senior aide to Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, R-Blair.
Lawmakers plan meeting on reform
The Patriot-News, Monday, Oct. 17, 2005
Lawmakers and school board officials will meet tomorrow to fill in taxpayers on the myriad of ideas that have been proposed for delivering property tax relief.
Opinion: Racetrack plan moves into spotlight
The Morning Call, Monday, Oct. 17, 2005
In many ways, Tuesday's public hearing about a proposed horse racing track and slots parlor near Route 33 in Palmer Township seemed very familiar.
Casinos ready to bet on wireless chip
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005
Nevada became the first state to allow the use of wireless, handheld gambling devices inside casinos. Atlantic City gambling operators are watching closely because Las Vegas sets the trend, and what starts here doesn't stay here.
Forum: Watch your wallet
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005
William Thompson, the Las Vegas professor and guru of gambling economics, has maintained for years that unless a casino can import at least half its gamblers from outside the region, it will hurt the region economically. This summer Mr. Thompson told an Erie audience that the net regional impact of a casino there would be negative $105 million a year.
Phila. Park's short fields make bettors look elsewhere
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005
Estimates are that total mutuel handle has fallen about $20 million this year on thoroughbred racing in Pennsylvania, and that probably comes as no surprise to any bettor who follows the daily activities at Philadelphia Park.
Editorial | Convention Center Expansion Finally, it's thumbs-up from Rendell
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Oct. 14, 2005
The long-delayed expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center can finally begin now that Gov. Rendell has agreed to release at least $166 million toward the final design and land acquisition. The state's plan is to use future revenues from slots parlors across the state to pay for the $632 million project. The two stand-alone slots parlors planned for Philadelphia are expected to be the biggest producers of gambling receipts for the state.
Related Story: First Pa. payment for Convention Center expansion
City slots panel wants environmentally friendly casinos
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Oct. 14, 2005
The Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force members, appointed by Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, unanimously approved a series of design guidelines, including a requirement that the casino operator erect an environmentally friendly "green" building. They have no power to enforce such a mandate, but plan to forward the recommendations to the state Gaming Control Board.
Lawmaker working with schools on tax
The Morning Call, Friday, Oct. 14, 2005
In an effort to help stave off rising property taxes for senior citizens and those on fixed incomes, administrators in the Quakertown Community, Pennridge and Palisades school districts are meeting with state Rep. Paul Clymer to come up with an alternative to Act 72.
Editorial: GAMING ETHICS
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005
It may not be clear to most members of the State Gaming Control Board, but it should be clear to everyone else that the agency's proposed ethics code leaves much to be desired.
Editorial: City gamble/An absent public leaves a casino's impact to chance
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005
The Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force has drawn sparse crowds at the first two of its six public meetings. The next meeting is Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the Regional Enterprise Tower, Downtown — or comment online at www.pittsburghgamingtaskforce.org.
Input wanted on stand-alone parlors
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005
Pittsburgh's Gaming Task Force wants to hear what the public has to say about maximizing money and minimizing negative impact from the city's first stand-alone slots parlor. The group plans to host six public meetings in coming weeks.
Slots licenses may be delayed by board dispute over suppliers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will face a problem that threatens to delay its issuing of slot machine licenses for racetracks around the state. An ongoing dispute on the seven-member gaming board over how to license newly formed companies that will supply the slot machines could cause delays. Supplier procedures haven't been finalized because of a dispute over whether to divide the state into regions.
Penn National nets 3 casinos in Argosy Gaming deal
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005
Penn National Gaming Inc. completed its acquisition of Argosy Gaming Co. Wyomissing-based Penn National now has 10 gaming facilities, five horse-racing operations, six off-track wagering sites and a management contract with a Canadian casino.
Trump leases former Budd Co. site for slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, Oct. 3, 2005
In a signal that it seeks to be a major player in Pennsylvania gambling, Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. will lease land at the former Budd Co. factory in Nicetown in an effort to build a slots parlor.
Trump Entertainment buys option on Philadelphia site
The Morning Call, Monday, Oct. 3, 2005
Eager to get into the game in Pennsylvania, Donald Trump's casino company has bought an option on an 18-acre parcel in north Philadelphia where it hopes to build a slot machine parlor.
State gaming board ruling may bar Harrah's
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2005
Gambling power Harrah's Entertainment Inc. could be aced out of the license for a proposed casino at Station Square because of a decision by the state Gaming Control Board last week. Despite pressure from Harrah's, the board adopted final regulations that bar anyone seeking a slots license for a racetrack from also applying for a license for a stand-alone slot machine casino, one of which will be in Pittsburgh.
Street: Diversity in slot licenses
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Sept. 30, 2005
Mayor Street strongly advocated for minority ownership of a Philadelphia casino, saying that at least one of the two planned slots parlors ought to reflect the diversity of the city.
Lawsuit won't delay the slots licenses, state officials say
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2005
The Rendell administration is confident that a lawsuit filed earlier this week by the state police union over gambling-related background checks won't derail the startup of Pennsylvania's slot machine industry.
Rendell pushes plan to make districts adopt Act 72
Erie Times-News, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell opened a special legislative session on property taxes Wednesday by making a strong pitch for all Pennsylvania school districts to participate in the Act 72 property-tax cutting program and warning that leaving the decision up to local voters would be counterproductive.
State Police Sue PA Gambling Regulators
abc27 news, Monday, Sept. 26, 2005
The state troopers union is suing to stop gambling regulators from hiring private companies to investigate applicant backgrounds. The suit was filed Monday in the state Supreme Court. The troopers say that hiring private firms to do the background checks violates the state constitution and could leave Pennsylvania's nascent slot-machine industry vulnerable to organized crime.
Penn State named No. 1 poker-playing campus
Centre Daily Times, Friday, Sept. 23, 2005
College Poker Championship, an online tournament, has named Penn State the best poker-playing campus among 2,400 schools worldwide. Out of 25,000 competitors, 612 were Penn State students. Among them were 10 who advanced to the finals.
Heat on Rendell, lawmakers to cut state property taxes
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Sept. 26, 2005
When Gov. Ed Rendell and state legislators return to the Capitol, they're going to face a crowd of protestors upset over the recent legislative pay increases. That anger increases the pressure on state officials to do something to reduce homeowners' property taxes -- a difficult task they'll take up during a special legislative session that opens Wednesday.
Casino lobby takes campaign across Ky.
Cincinnati Enquirer, Monday, Sept. 26, 2005
The Kentucky Equine Education Project, or KEEP, recently rolled out its call for the Legislature to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. If approved, the state's eight race tracks could open casinos.
Poker's hot - A.C. can deal
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005
Slot machines still power Atlantic City casinos, but table games led by poker are making the industry's pot grow. So far this year, the city's 12 casinos generated $2.5 billion from slots, compared with $890 million from table games. But table game revenue is growing at a faster rate than slots, 5.6 percent vs. 2.2 percent, for the first eight months of the year. Nearly every Atlantic City casino is either adding poker rooms, expanding the ones they have, or hosting tournaments.
High fees may have city casino operators looking to cut corners
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Sept. 23, 2005
Don't expect dancing waters, Venice-like canals or roller coasters as part of your night at a Pittsburgh casino. Pennsylvania's high tax rate on slot machine earnings and the one-time $50 million fee operators must pony up to get a license likely will curb such extravagance, based on what a gambling consultant told Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force members.
Stack, 2 aides to be tried on election-fraud charges
Philadelphia Daily News, Friday, Sept. 23, 2005
A Common Pleas judge has held a Philadelphia Democratic ward leader and two of his committee members for trial on charges that they forged nomination paperwork for a City Council candidate in 2003.
Casinos get break on taxes
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005
When legislators voted to allow gambling companies to open casinos in Pennsylvania, they justified the move by saying that heavy taxes on the slots operators would bring in as much $1 billion in revenue. But as the state is tallying up what it will take off the top, it is handing millions of dollars back to the wealthy gambling corporations because some of the proposed slots-parlor sites are in special tax-abatement zones.
State reduces estimate on city's slots revenue
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005
The odds that slot machine revenue could soon sweeten the city of Pittsburgh's budget worsened, as a state official revised estimates days before a draft of the budget is due.
Mayor urged to apply for slots license
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005
A nonbinding resolution to have the city of Pittsburgh apply for a license to operate a slots casino received final approval from City Council.
Bethlehem Council's swing voter favors slots proposal
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005
The proposal to ban slot machines in Bethlehem was a bust. In a Town Hall chamber packed with 100 people and others spilling into the hallway, Bethlehem City Council voted 4-3 against a plan to prohibit gambling in the zoning districts that cover the former Bethlehem Steel plant.
Lack of slots revenue leaves a hole in city budget plan
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Sept. 16, 2005
Mayor Tom Murphy says the city's 2006 budget could include significant job cuts if the state doesn't replace the revenue the city was supposed to get from slot casinos.
Governor to call for special legislative session to change Act 72
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Sept. 16, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell will call for a special session of the state Legislature to try to amend Act 72 and force school districts to accept money from slot machine parlors to reduce property taxes. In the spring, only about 20 percent of the state's 501 school districts agreed to accept gambling proceeds to reduce property taxes.
Editorial: What a gamble! / City shouldn't operate a casino
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Sept. 16, 2005
Even before Pennsylvania opens its first legalized slots parlor, casino giddiness seems to have overcome members of Pittsburgh City Council. They unanimously voted for a resolution asking Mayor Tom Murphy to apply for the one license for a slots facility that will be available within the city limits.
City slots "worth exploring"
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005
Mayor Tom Murphy said Wednesday the city should consider seeking the $50 million license for a slots parlor — an idea City Council already endorses.
Planning to play Texas Hold 'Em? Hold on, pardner
The Morning Call, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005
If you own a bar or run a volunteer firehouse and you're thinking about holding a poker tournament, think again. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said that hosting a poker tournament could violate state gambling laws if the organizer earns money by taking a cut of the pot.
State senators urge new tax relief
The Morning Call, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005
State senators from eastern Pennsylvania announced a package of legislation designed to cut real estate taxes by substituting locally collected income and sales taxes. The measure also would use slot machine revenue to provide rebates and cap property taxes and rents for elderly residents.
Casinos watch political tide
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005
At the moment, Mississippi law says casinos cannot be built on land. But some casino executives already have begun to leverage the Hurricane Katrina disaster to push the state to allow the casinos to move from barges onto shore. (Story includes information on other states.)
Mayor guides tour bus to likely slots lots
Philadelphia Daily News, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2005
Mayor Street, while giving a guided tour to 11 sites that have been publicly identified or debated for the parlors, said there are probably other locations being privately considered. He warned that keeping a site secret too long could backfire.
Editorial | Needed: A handbook of do's and don'ts
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005
Handling potential applicants for state casino licenses without any rules is like juggling radioactive material with your bare hands. You just shouldn't do it.
Pimlico dates to be cut drastically
Philadelphia Daily News (wire services), Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005
Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness, will lose most of its racing next year because of competition from neighboring tracks with slot machines. Gov. Robert Ehrlich said Maryland tracks need slot machines if horse racing is to remain a viable industry in the state.
Editorial: Allowance for off-the-record meetings is another flaw in gaming legislation
The Morning Call, Monday, Sept. 5, 2005
Unlike the laws in most other gambling states, our law allows private meetings. Why is this a problem? Well, there's no record of what's being discussed.
Gambling foes lead drive to ban slots from " Christmas City'"
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Monday, Sept. 5, 2005
Since Bethlehem Steel shuttered its massive plant here a decade ago, the city has successfully remade itself into a tourist destination. Visitors come for its quaint downtown shops, its music festivals, and its Moravian architecture and traditions — especially during Christmastime. Bethlehem's carefully-crafted image as the "Christmas City" is one reason why many here fiercely oppose a plan to build a slot-machine parlor on the Bethlehem Steel site.
Rejection of gambling ban just the beginning for Bethlehem
The Morning Call, Friday, Aug. 26, 2005
The day after a proposal to ban gambling in Bethlehem wasn't backed by city planners, both sides on Thursday offered new ways to grapple with the issue, from hiring consultants to forming a community task force.
Thank goodness for those 'lucky genes'
The Patriot-News, Friday, Aug. 26, 2005
A Lower Swatara Twp. man with "lucky genes" received a ceremonial $1,000-a- week-for-life check, three weeks after buying an instant Pennsylvania Lottery ticket during his lunch break.
Miss America no longer in Atlantic City
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Friday, Aug. 26, 2005
Miss America's packing up her tiara, kicking the sand off her high heels and hitting the road. Destination: Unknown. Cast off by network television, its fiscal picture dim, the famous beauty pageant — a fixture on the Boardwalk since its 1921 start as a bathing beauty revue, more or less — announced it will seek another city in hopes of turning its luck.
Bethlehem planners won't back zoning to ban Steel gambling
The Morning Call, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005
Gambling opponents suffered a setback when the Bethlehem Planning Commission refused to back a proposal to ban a $300 million slots parlor on former Bethlehem Steel land. After 51/2 hours of debate before a crowd of about 700, the planners voted 5-0 to recommend that City Council reject a zoning change that would prohibit gambling of any kind in selected industrial areas, including the Steel site.
Harrah's says it can't build casino in city
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005
Harrah's Entertainment, the largest gambling company in the world, can't build a casino in Philadelphia because of a noncompetition agreement it signed when it bought into a harness track and proposed slots parlor in Chester, according to company officials.
Swank mall for Bethlehem Works?
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005
The heavyweight company building a $1.3 billion shopping and entertainment mecca at the revamped Meadowlands sports complex in New Jersey is in negotiations to develop the retail end of BethWorks Now's proposed $300 million slots parlor complex in south Bethlehem.
Gambling panel invites 'bold, innovative' designs for slots parlor
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005
The panel's first priority will be to look at sites where developers have said they will seek to place a slots parlor, she added. The group has not ruled out any ideas, including one for the city to assemble properties for a casino, using eminent domain if necessary.
Battle looms for Bethlehem's soul
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005
The proposed zoning amendment, which gets its first public airing Wednesday, is the linchpin in an impassioned fight to stop the slots. Supporters of the measure say the community — not the state — has a right to zone out gambling and all the crime and negative effects that come with it. Others argue the city has no right to take away the property rights of a developer who promises to bring thousands of jobs.
Piccola wants tax on food, not homes
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005
Saying the public has had it with higher property tax bills, state Sen. Jeffrey Piccola has unveiled a plan to replace school property taxes with a broader state sales tax that would include food, clothing and most services.
Gambling interests leave nothing to chance
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005
Groups and individuals with an interest in securing a state license for a slot machine casino in Pittsburgh have pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaigns of key state and local politicians during the past four years, with $137,550 coming after the gambling law was passed in 2004. (Includes graphic.)
Gaming panel stands by decision to award background-check contracts without bids
The Morning Call, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005
State gambling regulators voted to begin the competitive bidding process to hire background-investigation firms but stood by a controversial decision to award emergency contracts for the work at this time.
Croce casino deal rumored on City Ave.
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005
Former Philadelphia 76ers president and co-owner Pat Croce is putting together a team of star athletes and entertainers to build a casino at the former Adam's Mark Hotel, although he has not reached a deal on the property, according to a source familiar with the matter.
PA Gaming Board Opens Registration for Sept. 29 Philadelphia Diversity Forum
GCB Press Release, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today opened registration for the first of two scheduled Gaming Diversity forums designed to promote the inclusion of women- and minority-owned businesses in the Commonwealth’s emerging gaming industry.
Report weighs sites for Phila. slots parlors
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005
Mayor Street's gambling task force hasn't said what it wants, but it knows what it doesn't. Its 372-page interim report did not recommend any of the 11 sites examined. The report frowned on some slots parlor sites, saying they would add to downtown congestion and parking problems.
Editorial: Casinos less of a gamble with new city report
Philadelphia Daily News, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2005
The slots parlors will become two of the most-trafficked destinations in Philadelphia, drawing 4.5 million to 6.5 million annual visitors. The city has no official jurisdiction. That's why this new report is so impressive — and also why it is so critical.
Bethlehem panel to meet on slots
The Morning Call, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2005
The Bethlehem Planning Commission has scheduled a meeting Aug. 24 to review a zoning proposal that would ban slot machines at the former Bethlehem Steel plant.
Opinion: Perfect storm is a chance for reform in Harrisburg
The Morning Call, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2005
Was the State Supreme Court decision upholding Pennsylvania's slot machine law a quid pro quo designed to usher in the judicial pay raise? [The author, Michael Geer, is president of the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Family Institute, a non-profit research and education organization, and a plaintiff in PAGE (Pennsylvanians Against Gambling Expansion Fund Inc.) vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.]
State officials pitch tax reform ideas
The Morning Call, Friday, Aug. 12, 2005
The state is working on possible formulas for property tax reform. State Rep. Paul Clymer is a co-sponsor of a proposal that would eliminate local property and earned income taxes as the main source of school funding. In turn, the sales tax would be lowered from 6 percent to 5 percent, but would be expanded to include almost all goods and services. Other proposals are discussed.
Governors reap gaming contributions
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Aug. 12, 2005
Gaming money has continued to flow to the Democratic Governors' Association, a political nonprofit organization that, among other things, donates money to the election campaigns of Democratic gubernatorial candidates. Casino companies gave the Democratic Governors' Association close to $1.2 million in 2003 and 2004. Donations also go to the Republican Governors' Association.
Capitol Notes: Money for volunteer firefighters
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Aug. 12, 2005
A lesser known aspect of the state Supreme Court's recent decision on the state slot machine law was its negative effect on volunteer fire and ambulance companies across the state.
Task force won't commit yet on slots funds for arena
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Aug. 12, 2005
The Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force isn't ready to require a slot machine casino operator to put up money for a new arena or any other economic development project.
Rooneys only against slots in Steelers' neighborhood
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, Aug. 12, 2005
As owners of the Steelers, the Rooney family has vowed to block a slots parlor from locating on the North Shore near Heinz Field. The Rooneys own Yonkers Raceway, a harness racing track outside New York City, and are spending $185 million to open one of the nation's largest video gambling facilities.
Local lawyers on gambling committee
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Tuesday, Aug. 09, 2005
State lawmakers might have given rise to two new industries when they legalized gambling last year: the casinos, and the lawyers who will specialize in Pennsylvania's newest enterprise. The Pennsylvania Bar Association created a Gaming Law Committee and has appointed 102 members.
State bypasses bidding on contracts
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Friday, Aug. 5, 2005
State gambling regulators moved to award emergency contracts to three background-investigation firms, saying there was no time for competitive bidding in the rush to start the nascent slot-machine industry.
State gaming board picks 3 firms to do background checks
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Aug. 05, 2005
To speed the process of licensing casino operators and slot machine manufacturers, state regulators will hire up to three outside financial consulting firms, including one based in Pittsburgh. The Gaming Control Board will contact Corporate Investigations Inc. of Pittsburgh and two firms from northern Virginia — Manuel, Daniels, Burke International and Omnisec International, a minority-owned firm.
Judge dismisses slots lawsuit — for now
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Aug. 03, 2005
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Beaver County developer Charles Betters seeking to overturn the state's slot machine gambling law, but seems to have left the door open for another challenge down the road.
In Gettysburg, a battle over slots plan
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, July 31, 2005
A wide range of opponents — from U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) to the National Trust for Historic Preservation —- have decried the proposed Gettysburg Gaming Resort & Spa, which is one of a handful around the state vying for the final two locations for slots parlors that have yet to be selected.
Column: This little piggy stayed almost empty
The Morning Call (Tribune Media Services), Sunday, July 31, 2005
Americans saved just 1.3 percent of disposable income last year, the worst savings rate since the Great Depression. That compares to 9.4 percent in 1970. In addition, the number of traditional defined benefit pension plans was 29,651 last year, or one-third that of 1985. Twenty percent of retired Americans now count on Social Security for all of their income.
Optimism expressed by gaming behemoth
The Patriot-News, Friday, July 29, 2005
Penn National plans to spend $240 million — including $50 million for a license — to develop a Hollywood-themed casino at the racetrack. Asked whether Penn National would open a temporary casino before its permanent operation is ready, Peter M. Carlino, chairman and CEO, said, "We don't know." Nick Hays, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, said the board can authorize the use of temporary facilities.
City leaders advised on slots gambling, its impact
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, July 29, 2005
Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force members asked a consultant whether it would be better to encourage would-be casino developers to tout the merits of competing locations, or choose a single, city-controlled site and hold a design competition.
Penn National Gaming reports higher revenues but lower earnings
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, July 28, 2005
Penn National Gaming Inc., the Wyomissing owner of regional racetracks and racinos — racetracks with slot machines — reported higher revenues largely as a result of gambling, but posted lower earnings. The deal to acquire Alton, Ill.-based Argosy and its riverboat casinos would make Penn National the third-largest gambling company in the world, behind only two Las Vegas-based rivals — Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and MGM Mirage.
Onorato: Slots could fund arena
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have no money for a new arena for the Penguins, but the state and private investors — including Pittsburgh's eventual slots casino operator — could pay the freight, county Chief Executive Dan Onorato said. Private and public money were combined to build PNC Park and Heinz Field, Onorato said.
Casino zoning plan unveiled
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Pittsburgh city planners unveiled a preliminary plan that would allow a slot machine casino to be located in one of four city neighborhoods where current zoning laws prohibit such a facility. Of the seven primary locations under consideration for Pittsburgh's one slots license, only two proposed sites on the North Shore and one in the city's Hays section have the proper zoning in place.
Editorial | Move quickly on a plan
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Philadelphia cannot allow developers to build high-rise towers and other commercial and residential structures without more thought and public input.
Candidate slams council's gambling stance
The Morning Call, Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Northampton County Council candidate Lamont McClure criticized council for publicly opposing gambling. McClure, 34, a Democrat from Bethlehem Township, said the position endangers tax relief, potential jobs and the redevelopment of the Bethlehem Steel property because it could influence whether the county gets a slots parlor.
Sponsors urge state to raise bingo pots
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Some state legislators, and some local charities that depend on bingo games as fundraisers, are beginning to worry. They fear that slot machines could hurt attendance and lower the take at their bingo games. Therefore, many organizers say it's time for the state to increase bingo prizes, which haven't changed since bingo laws were first passed in 1981.
Opinion: Lavish slots resort isn't worth the risk
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, July 26, 2005
"[No Casino Gettysburg's] purpose is to oppose a gambling casino in or near Gettysburg, in Adams County, or one anywhere that exploits the good name of our community." (www.nocasinogettysburg.com)
Croce is eyeing slot-parlor license
Philadelphia Daily News, Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Pat Croce is courting gaming corporations, politicians and friends for advice on assembling a group of investors to pursue one of the two slot-machine-parlor licenses in Philadelphia. Croce is author of motivational tomes such as "I Feel Great And You Will Too!"
How long will voters stew about pay raises?
The Patriot-News, Monday, July 25, 2005
Pennsylvanians are fuming over the large salary increases going to legislators, judges and other top state officials.
Capitol Notes
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, July 15, 2005
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is trying to make it easier for smaller companies, especially those owned by minorities and women, to do business with the new casinos coming to the state over the next two or three years.
Column: Legislature to city: Slots of luck
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, July 14, 2005
State Rep. Mike Veon, D-Beaver Falls, has introduced new power-grabbing legislation. Veon doesn't want to risk the possibility that the city might do something that could threaten the state's maximum sucker-fleecing potential.
Study Links Parkinson's Drug to Gambling
excite.com (Associated Press), Tuesday, July 12, 2005
A Mayo Clinic study in July's Archives of Neurology describes Parkinson's patients who developed compulsive gambling problems while taking Mirapex or similar drugs between 2002 and 2004. Doctors have since identified additional Mayo patients with the problem.
Archives of Neurology, http://archneur.ama-assn.org.
Taxwise, there's nothing carefree about gambling
The Morning Call, Sunday, July 10, 2005
State tax laws on gambling winnings vary, and confusion abounds about whether gamblers can offset reported winnings with losses, tax experts say. Who needs to spill the beans about gambling income? Players of lotteries, raffles, casinos and horse and dog races, as well as winners of non-cash prizes such as cars and trips, according to the IRS. All gambling winnings are supposed to be reported on line 21 of your federal Form 1040.
Huge casino perils Downtown's profile
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, July 10, 2005
The sheer size of the proposed venue has stunned members of the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force, the volunteer group put together by Mayor Tom Murphy to study the impact of the casino. By size alone, the casino could alter the city's landscape in much the same way as PNC Park, the convention center, and Heinz Field.
Lawmakers boost their pay 16%
The Patriot-News, Friday, July 08, 2005
Without any debate, the House voted 119-79 to approve a pay raise for state officials at 2 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, the Senate passed the pay raise 27-23. The salary package boosted state lawmakers' base pay by 16 percent to $81,050, making them the second highest paid Legislature in the nation.
Beyer emphasizes property tax breaks for seniors
The Morning Call, Thursday, July 7, 2005
Proposing more property tax breaks for seniors and jail time for school district officials responsible for financial wrongdoing, Karen Beyer, Republican candidate for state representative in the 131st District, outlined her tax relief plans. Beyer claimed fraud, waste and financial abuse are serious problems in school districts and other state and local government entities.
County council may take symbolic stand on slots casinos
The Morning Call, Thursday, July 7, 2005
Northampton County Council members are expected to introduce a resolution calling for council to oppose casinos because ''it does not believe that legalized gaming fits into the larger vision for the discriminate, smart development of Northampton County as a premier medical, academic, cultural and economic center in northeastern Pennsylvania.'' If council takes sides on the issue, it will be a symbolic gesture. County leaders have no say in whether a slots casino comes to Bethlehem or Palmer Township, where they have been proposed.
Horse track developers jockeying for state license
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, July 7, 2005
Two Western Pennsylvania horse racing promoters are among three groups competing for the final thoroughbred racetrack license to be issued by the state.
Bethlehem City Council urged to squelch slots
The Morning Call, Wednesday, July 6, 2005
More than 100 people packed Bethlehem City Council's chambers to tell members what they think of a $300 million proposal to put slot machines on the former Bethlehem Steel ore yard. One man extolled the tax money and economic development it would bring to the vacant plant. But more decried the proposal on moral grounds, saying the business of gambling would foster addictions that could topple families in the Christmas City.
Bethlehem's gaming foes speak
The Express-Times, Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Close to 200 residents packed into Town Hall to voice their opinions on a proposal to convert a portion of the former Steel land into a slots parlor. BethWorks Now is partnering with Las Vegas Sands Inc., which owns the Venetian casinos, on the project.
Bethlehem far from voting on proposed gambling ban
The Morning Call, Tuesday, July 5, 2005
Councilman Gordon Mowrer said that he and Councilman Joseph Leeson Jr. plan to introduce an amendment to ban gambling on the former Bethlehem Steel site. The measure could block a $300 million slots project proposed for the former Steel ore yard on the South Side.
Bill would restore slots zoning to state Gaming Control Board
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Monday, July 4, 2005
State gambling regulators, not municipalities, would oversee zoning for slot-machine parlors in Pennsylvania, under legislation introduced to restore a provision struck down by the state Supreme Court.
Battle joined over casino sites
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, July 4, 2005
State Rep. Mike Veon isn't letting the state Supreme Court stop him from trying to prohibit local zoning boards from deciding where Pennsylvania casinos are to be located.
A.C. debates wisdom of giveaways
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, July 3, 2005
Comping rooms is a way for casinos to reward their best customers, on the theory that casinos can make up for the giveaways as customers spend big bucks on gambling. But there is a growing divide in the industry on whether Atlantic City should continue its long-standing practice of comping rooms, or should sell more rooms to attract customers who do more than gamble such as shop in town. Last year, 68 percent of the city's rooms were given away free.
They live it up every week, for free
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, July 3, 2005
To understand how the casinos take care of their most valued customers, meet the Corkers.
City in hurry to develop casino zoning
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, July 1, 2005
Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy said he hopes to have zoning in place for a casino by October or November, well before the state Gaming Control Board issues a license for the Pittsburgh casino, which eventually could have up to 5,000 machines. The license probably won't be issued until mid- to late 2006.
Builder looks to future from past BethWorks Now plans $900 million project in south Bethlehem
The Morning Call, Friday, July 1, 2005
Newmark & Co. principals are part of BethWorks Now, which is teaming up with Las Vegas Sands Corp., owner of the Venetian hotel and casino, to make a similar transformation in south Bethlehem. The plan there includes a casino, a hotel, a lifestyle mall complex and as many as 1,200 apartments wrapped around a collection of restored former Bethlehem Steel buildings that would serve almost as a museum of the Industrial Revolution.
Slots parlors face zoning uncertainties
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Wednesday, June 29, 2005
With their zoning authority taken away by the Supreme Court, state gambling regulators must figure out how to handle the unpredictable municipal zoning process that slot-machine operators could face around the state.
Slots law revenue cap ripped by officials
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Calling the state's slots gaming law "a catastrophic injustice" to small towns across Pennsylvania, an East Hanover Twp. supervisor asked state legislators to remove a revenue cap which would keep slots hosts from getting what she called their fair share.
Editorial | Choosing a Casino Site
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The court left the door open for the legislature to pass a separate law to reestablish the gambling board's power to supersede local zoning. The Rendell administration apparently plans to do just that. It shouldn't. The state tradition of home rule in this case is more important than concerns about gambling foes using zoning challenges to frustrate licensees, or about local corruption.
Editorial: A contortionist court upholds slots law with odd reading of state constitution
The Morning Call, Sunday, June 26,. 2005
Forget banking on the state constitution. In the view of the justices, it hardly is a constitution at all. It's just a list of official suggestions.
Odds are on scratch tickets
The Union-Leader (New Hampshire), May 31, 2005
By upping the top price of scratch lottery tickets to $20, New Hampshire lottery officials are banking on the growing popularity of scratch tickets to continue generating lottery sales.
Fortune Cookie Leads to Record Number of Powerball Winners
Fox News, March 31, 2005
A record 110 players won $500,000 and $100,000 prizes in a Powerball drawing, most of whom apparently used the numbers included in a fortune-cookie message. Ordinarily the multistate lottery expects only four tickets to win at the Match 5 prize level.
Lottery winners find good fortune in cookies
msnbc.com (Reuters), May 11, 2005
110 people win $100,000 or more using digits from Chinese dessert. By the laws of statistical probability, there should have been only four or five winners among the 10.4 million ticket buyers in the lottery operated by the governments of 27 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Rendell fears local role in slots will cause delays
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, June 26, 2005
He wants gambling board's power to decide venues restored, as cities across Pa. get ready for parlors.
Competition heating up for slots license in city
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, June 25, 2005
MTR Gaming, owner of Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort in Chester, W.Va., definitely will seek the one state license available for the Pittsburgh casino and is looking at locations in the Strip District and on the North Shore near the Del Monte plant.
Racetrack waiting for arrival of slots
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, June 25, 2005
Meadows is losing money, but not for long.
Ready to dig in on slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, June 24, 2005
The day after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the state's gambling law, Penn National Gaming Inc. and other racetrack operators hoping to win slots-parlor licenses said they were ready to begin construction.
More tweaking looms for state slots law
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Friday, June 24, 2005
Elements of the state's slot-machine gambling law thrown out by the Supreme Court may be resurrected this fall when lawmakers are expected to consider a host of revisions to the law. Some lawmakers want to keep members of the General Assembly from holding any interest in a gambling concern, give the attorney general more power to investigate criminal activity at casinos, improve gambling addiction programs and distribute money to the 80 percent of school districts that have rejected the revenue-sharing system known as Act 72.
Expert warns of murky residue from gambling
The Morning Call, Friday, June 24, 2005
Likening the Lehigh Valley to a bathtub, two experts said gambling could either fill it with money or drain cash and businesses from the community to faraway places such as Nevada.
Pa. Supreme Court upholds slots law
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, June 23, 2005
Pennsylvania's Supreme Court upheld almost all of the state's year-old casino law. The high court struck down three sections of the law, including:
- A provision that prevented municipal zoning boards from exerting influence over where a casino is located in their community.
- A provision that gaming revenue be used to aid volunteer fire companies and financially compensate counties with large amounts of forest land.
- A ban on free drinks for casino patrons.
The lawsuit claimed lawmakers exceeded their constitutional authority by transforming a one-page statute that would have allowed state police to fingerprint people seeking horse-racing licenses into a 145-page law that effectively created an entire gambling industry.
Pa. court upholds gambling measure
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, June 23, 2005
The ruling will untie the hands of the state gambling control board - whose work has largely been placed on hold as a result of the suit - and also should unleash a torrent of activity among gambling companies eager to invest in the state.
Gaming law upheld; zoning rule upset
Philadelphia Daily News, Thursday, June 23, 2005
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the state law that legalizes slot machines in 14 venues across the state, including two sites in Philadelphia. But the court struck down part of the law that took from Philadelphia and other municipalities any say or control in zoning matters for the slots parlors.
State GOP pushes for slots change
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, June 23, 2005
A group of state Republican lawmakers launched a new effort to bar public officials from owning interests in gambling companies. The governor vetoed a similar bill last year.
Act 72 plan lets voters decide
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Under a plan presented by top Senate and House Democrats, property owners in the 389 school districts that rejected Act 72, the state's new tax relief program, would be able to vote Nov. 8 on whether to overrule the decisions of their school boards and opt in. Another approach is a sweeping revision of Pennsylvania tax policy proposed by some conservative Republican House members. They would lower the state's 6 percent sales tax to 5 percent but greatly extend its reach so that it covers many items not now covered, such as food, clothing and many professional services. That plan would raise as much as $8 billion, enough to eliminate school property taxes altogether, its backers have said.
Democrats want voters to revive Act 72
The Morning Call, Tuesday, June 21, 2005
''We thought we had the magic bullet, and obviously we did not,'' Minority Leader H. William DeWeese, D-Greene, said of Act 72. A new plan would require the 390 districts whose school boards opted out of Act 72 to hold referendums in November on whether to join the program [with less tax relief].
Democrats push November referendum on property-tax cuts
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Monday, June 20, 2005
Voters in the hundreds of school districts that said "no" to the state's new property-tax cut program should have a chance to overrule school boards that rejected it, Democratic legislative leaders said. Democrats introduced legislation that would put a referendum on the November ballot allowing voters to force districts into the program.
Supervisor cries foul over track sewer plans
The Patriot-News, Monday, June 20, 2005
East Hanover Township wants the Penn National racetrack to connect to its waste plant to help reduce costs for residents. Having the racetrack on the township's sewer system also would give the township a regulatory handle over development at the track. The racetrack has different plans; it is awaiting state approval of a proposal to build its own $5 million state-of-the art plant.
World-class gambling in south Bethlehem?
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Bethlehem has the potential to be in the league of world-class gambling cities such as Las Vegas, Singapore and Macau, China, Las Vegas Sands Corp. President William Weidner said. If state officials award a license for a slots parlor in Bethlehem, Las Vegas Sands — owner of the Venetian Hotel and Casino — would start with a $300 million casino, hotel and shopping complex development that would employ 2,500 people.
Rendell hunts education chief No. 3
The Morning Call, Wednesday, June 15, 2005
For the third time in as many years, Gov. Ed Rendell has to appoint a state education secretary.
Rendell ready to pull plug on Act 72
The Mercury (Pottstown, Pa.), Sunday, June 12, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell may soon abandon the controversial Act 72 tax relief package rejected by four-fifths of Pennsylvania’s school districts. Bills proposing Act 72 referendums and mandatory participation are pending as lawmakers work to pass a state budget before the fiscal year ends June 30 and their summer vacation begins. (Editor's note: Other bills discussed include proposals from State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf and Rep. Sam Rohrer.)
Education secretary to resign
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, June 14, 2005
After nine months on the job, state Education Secretary Francis Barnes is stepping down from the Cabinet post in September. The governor denied that he forced Barnes out of the job for failing to take an active role in selling Act 72, the state's plan to use money from slots gaming to cut property taxes.
Bill would remove cap on slots cash
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, June 14, 2005
A proposal in the state Legislature would increase the amount of money a municipality such as East Hanover Twp. could get from slots gambling each year. State Rep. Ronald S. Marsico, R-Lower Paxton Twp., has reintroduced legislation vetoed by Gov. Ed Rendell last year that would eliminate the cap on the amount of money small municipalities can get from slots gambling.
Rendell says public funding for new Penguins arena very unlikely
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, June 14, 2005
The Penguins’ hopes for a new igloo got a stick in the eye when Gov. Ed Rendell pronounced himself “skeptical about the chances for a new arena.” The team is pursuing a slots parlor license as a revenue source to help finance a new arena.
Rendell: Slots are best hope for arena
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Money from gambling appears to be the best chance for Pittsburgh to get a new hockey arena, Gov. Ed Rendell said. The Penguins want to be the slot machine casino licensee to make that happen.
The gambling world gets a new top dog - Harrah's
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Harrah's Entertainment Inc. completed its $10.4 billion acquisition of Caesars Entertainment Inc. to create the world's largest gambling company, with 43 properties on two continents. The move gives Harrah's an even stronger position in Atlantic City and Pennsylvania.
Bill would remove cap on slots cash
The Patriot-News, Monday, June 13, 2005
A proposal in the state Legislature would increase the amount of money a municipality such as East Hanover Twp. could get from slots gambling each year.
Pa. to add charge to land for gambling
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, June 11, 2005
When the legislature directs the state to sell off a parcel of surplus land, future buyers will have to pay a premium if the land is to be used for gambling. Gov. Rendell introduced the policy in May, as federal investigators were reviewing how one parcel of state land was sold to a group of buyers that included State Sen. Michael J. Stack. The investors bought the land for $100,000, then sold an option on it for $37 million to a Las Vegas casino company.
You want to decide
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, June 8, 2005
Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly favor letting voters — not school boards — decide if their school districts should take money from slot-machine gambling to cut property taxes, according to a new Keystone Poll.
Lawmaker says Act 72 leftovers could help more of Pennsylvania's
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, June 8, 2005
Since 80 percent of Pennsylvania's school boards have said "no" to using slot machine revenue for tax relief, a senator from suburban Philadelphia wants to use the leftover funds to expand existing property tax and rent rebate programs for senior citizens.
County looks for direction from public
Easton Express-Times, Monday, June 6, 2005
Northampton County Council will hold a public hearing on proposals to establish slot machine casinos on Bethlehem's South Side and elsewhere in the county from 7 to 9 p.m. June 28 at Foy Hall on Moravian College's campus.
State senator loses slots stake
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, June 7, 2005
Property owned by State Sen. Michael Stack 3d (D., Phila.) and other members of his family is no longer part of a Las Vegas company's plans for a potentially lucrative slots-parlor site.
Ground is broken for Chester harness track and casino
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, June 7, 2005
Plans for Harrah's Chester Casino and Racetrack call for a harness racetrack, a 1,500-seat grandstand and simulcast facility, a 2,500-slot casino, and a variety of food and beverage outlets. There are also plans for a buffet, 24-hour restaurant, lounge, and 300-seat clubhouse dining area, according to Harrah's. Harrah's officials said the track in Chester would create about 400 construction jobs and 900 full-time positions.
Editorial: Gaming board should proceed cautiously with distribution of slots mach
The Morning Call, Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Jeffrey W. Coy, a former Democratic lawmaker appointed to the gaming board by state House Democratic Leader H. William DeWeese, proposed requiring slot-machine manufacturers to go through five regional distributorships. Mr. Coy's plan sounds too much like yet another opportunity for greedy fingers to dip into the slots-parlor pie.
Fumo: Pa. has toughest stance on gambling addiction
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, June 6, 2005
We have to do our best to deal with the problems, but we also must be realistic and face the fact that gambling is here to stay in Pennsylvania because it is the will of the majority. (State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo (D., Phila.) is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.)
Editorial: Task Force on Gaming Take the high road
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, June 4, 2005
Councilman James F. Kenney has proposed putting all Philadelphia gaming task force members and staff under the same ethical rules that apply to members of city-related agencies and boards. Street should formally support the idea.
Gaming board cool to plan for regional casino divisions
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, June 3, 2005
A proposal to divide the state into five regions to give more companies a shot at supplying slot machines to casinos is creating some discord within the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Only 20% of districts opt to take slots cash
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, June 1, 2005
With only one in five school districts opting in to Act 72, Gov. Ed Rendell said that giving schools a choice to participate was "a flawed concept." Rendell weighs making Act 72 mandatory.
Rendell criticizes school boards
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell says the unwillingness of school boards to limit their own power was the chief culprit behind the poor response to his plan to fund property tax relief with slot machine revenue.
Rendell seeks new plan on tax relief
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Gov. Rendell's office said that a new plan was needed to deliver the tax relief promised in last year's slot-machine legislation. Pennsylvania school districts rejected the state's offer of gambling revenues for real estate tax rebates by a wide margin. Only 96 of Pennsylvania's 501 districts were known to have opted in to the program by the weekend.
Playing slots called most addictive form of gambling
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Ed Looney of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey calls slots the most addictive form of gambling.
State antes up $1.5 million for gambling addicts
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, May 31, 2005
The state Gaming Control Board is establishing a program to deal with compulsive gambling. The state Department of Health's Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs is developing a statewide system of certified counselors to treat those with gambling problems.
Act 72: What went wrong?
The Morning Call, Monday, May 30, 2005
For reasons as complex and complicated as Act 72 itself, it now appears that the law once described as the best thing to happen to the pocketbooks of Pennsylvania property owners in 30 years will fail its mission.
Editorial: Rendell and Gaming Leaving Las Vegas
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, May 30, 2005
Under the gaming law, legislators and their families can hold up to 1 percent gaming interests, which could translate into millions of dollars. Dubious moves such as that have created a lot of public doubts that the state's slots operation will be run on the straight and narrow. Rendell should know better than to do anything to fuel such skepticism.
Columnist: No wonder school boards resisted Act 72
The Patriot-News, Sunday, May 29, 2005
Our tax system is an unfair, burdensome mess, so leaders of both parties should get serious about tax reform. (The author, Fred D. Baldwin, is president of the Carlisle School Board. The Editor.)
Editorial: SAD REJECTION
The Patriot-News, Sunday, May 29, 2005
T he prospective state mandate would hand greater local control to where it really belongs — the people.
Will you ever see a property tax cut?
The Patriot-News, Sunday, May 29, 2005
The crowning legislative achievement of Gov. Ed Rendell's first term has lost a lot of its luster.
Rendell: Schools can attach conditions to Act 72 approval
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, May 25, 2005
As the deadline nears for Pennsylvania school districts to accept or reject Act 72, the Rendell administration said yesterday it's OK for districts to attach certain conditions to their decisions to join the property tax relief program.
Rendell's group role questioned
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, May 25, 2005
As governor, Ed Rendell cannot accept political contributions from gambling executives under the state's new slot machine law. But as finance chairman of the Democratic Governors' Association, Rendell met last month with gambling company officials while on a fund-raising trip to Las Vegas. Gambling companies have been generous supporters of the Democratic group, contributing more than $1.1 million in the last two years, records show.
Next step for Act 72 is unclear
The Morning Call, Wednesday, May 25, 2005
With the slots-for-taxes plan failing, its Harrisburg backers are now struggling to answer what happens next to Pennsylvania property tax relief.
Aspiring slots distributors include the well-connected
The Patriot-News (Associated Press), Tuesday, May 24, 2005
A lobbyist for the country's largest slot-machine manufacturer and the son of a former State Supreme Court chief justice are among entrepreneurs interested in the potentially lucrative business of distributing slot machines in Pennsylvania.
East Penn School Board lists 24 reasons to oppose state law
The Morning Call, Tuesday, May 24, 2005
The East Penn School Board on Monday not only unanimously opted out of Act 72, but also passed a document listing 24 reasons why it opposes the controversial state law. Board member Charles Ballard called it the worst piece of legislation ever passed in Pennsylvania.
School tax-cut plan races May 30 deadline
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, May 23, 2005
Local districts have a week to decide if they're in or out of Act 72 formula.
Hedging the bets on gaming laws
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, May 22, 2005
Lawmakers see an upside if the Pennsylvania Supreme Court strikes down the slots measure. It could be made much better. The law has holes, shortcomings and contradictions, including a provision allowing legislators to own interests in slots parlors and distributorships. The whole thing has hurt the state's reputation and added to the pay-to-play stigma.
Street tries to ease residents' slots fears
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, May 20, 2005
Mayor Street told South Philadelphia residents yesterday that the city would play an active role in situating the two slot casinos slated for the city, although he acknowledged that state law "really doesn't give us any legal authority."
Study: Districts opting in to Act 72 may pay more for bond issues
The Morning Call, Thursday, May 19, 2005
chool districts that agree to limit their ability to raise property taxes under Act 72 can expect to pay more to borrow money in the future, according to a presentation Wednesday at Lehigh University.
Questions abound for school districts conditionally opting in to Act 72
The Morning Call, Thursday, May 19, 2005
School districts that opt in to Act 72 by adopting a conditional resolution, such as one recommended by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, might not be counted as participating districts, according to the state Education Department.
Board rejects Act 72, cites morality
The Patriot-News, Thursday, May 19, 2005
The Annville-Cleona School Board unanimously rejected joining the state's program to lower property taxes with proceeds from slot machines, claiming it's morally wrong to use gambling money to support education.
Atlantic City
The Morning Call, Thursday, May 19, 2005
Despite the prevalence of slot machines, playing cards and dice, there is more to do in Atlantic City than gamble. The city is perhaps best known for its 14 casinos. Each year they attract 30 million visitors who spend $8 million a day on the gaming tables and slot machines.
Preakness day revenue is vital to Maryland's tracks
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, May 19, 2005
More than 100,000 people will gather at Pimlico Race Course Saturday to watch the Preakness Stakes. They will bet millions of dollars and spend enough money on food and souvenirs to enable the venerable track to survive another year.
Court preserves Act 72 deadline
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, May 18, 2005
The state Supreme Court has snuffed out the last hope of delaying a May 30 deadline for Pennsylvania school boards to make a crucial decision — whether to take part in Act 72, a tax-relief program to be funded with slot machine revenue.
Act 72 contains paradox on taxes
The Morning Call, Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Some districts wouldn't have to hike income levy to get maximum relief. The issue of excess revenue is a strange conundrum created by Act 72, the property tax relief law.
Banking on Power
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, May 15, 2005
State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo has a second job, as a banker. The bank he leads is small — 13 branches in Philadelphia and the suburbs. PSB Bancorp, owner of First Penn Bank, is up for sale. If it is sold, the Philadelphia Democrat stands to receive about $20 million.
State official warns school districts that future slots legislation could be more limiting
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, May 14, 2005
The rules for using gambling proceeds for tax reform could be more restrictive in the future if school districts refuse to opt into the program before the end of May, the state secretary of banking warned.
Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force seeks quick study on slots
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, May 13, 2005
Mayor Tom Murphy told the 23-member board he appointed to consider the impact of a slots gambling casino in Pittsburgh that he wants a report from the group by Sept. 30, before the state awards a license for a standalone parlor with up to 5,000 slot machines in the city. Among potential Pittsburgh sites, Station Square, the land between Heinz Field and PNC Park, Mellon Arena, the Strip District near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Guv's sour on Budd site for slots parlor
Philadelphia Daily News, Friday, May 13, 2005
Gov. Rendell, a Donald Trump fan who hopes the Trump brand will enter the Philadelphia market, was less than impressed with a potential slot-machine parlor in Nicetown.
Trump may try for a city slots parlor
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, May 13, 2005
His company says it has zeroed in on "one or two sites." The former Budd Co. property in Nicetown is a possibility, far from the Center City or riverfront areas that have been considered prime slots locations.
Agency head pitches Act 72
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, May 13, 2005
With little more than two weeks left for the vast majority of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts to decide whether to opt in to Act 72, a member of Gov. Ed Rendell's cabinet, Secretary of Banking Bill Schenck, visited Latrobe to pitch the legislation directly to taxpayers. The news conference was open to the public, but only news reporters attended.
Mars Area School District says no to Act 72, will not accept slots revenue
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, May 12, 2005
The Mars Area school board voted unanimously Tuesday to opt out of Act 72, saying it makes no sense for a growing school district. "This is just a terrible law," said board member Karl Kennedy. "There's just got to be a better way to do this."
Trump casino in Nicetown?
Philadelphia Daily News, Thursday, May 12, 2005
Donald Trump, one of the best-known brands in the casino business, is shopping for a potential slots-parlor location at the former Budd Co. plant in the Philadelphia's Nicetown section. The site is in a Keystone Opportunity Zone, so a business operating there would be exempt until 2011 from some state and local taxes.
MTR leaves track option open
Erie Times-News, Tuesday, May 10, 2005
MTR Gaming Group Inc is reconsidering all options after two of the three Summit Township supervisors said they will not support a $25 million subsidy for infrastructure costs associated with the horse racing track and slots parlor planned for Summit Township.
State girds for gambling addicts
Erie Times-News (Associated Press), May 6, 2005
Getting universities to create training courses for gambling-addiction counselors and expanding health insurance to cover treatment are among the state's challenges as it prepares for a new slot-machine industry, Department of Health officials said.
Whitehall-Coplay district opts out of Act 72
The Morning Call, Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Though 80 percent of district homeowners signed up for tax relief under Act 72, the Whitehall-Coplay School Board has voted 8-1 against participating in the state's plan to lower property taxes with gambling revenues. It is the first Lehigh County district to reject the program.
Residents decry slots for tax relief plan
The Morning Call, Wednesday, May 11, 2005
About 100 tell Pen Argyl Area board that Act 72 is too complex and leaves too many questions.
Boards expected to seek share of slots revenue
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, May 10, 2005
The Harrisburg School District appears poised to opt into Act 72, which could save city homeowners up to $575 a year on school tax bills beginning in 2007.
Southeast considered untapped Indian gaming market, officials say
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Monday, May 9, 2005
The Southeast, rich in Indian tribal lands, should be a prime target for expansion of the multibillion-dollar American Indian gambling business, but few new casinos are being pursued, industry officials say.
Survey finds few back Act 72
The Morning Call, Sunday, May 8, 2005
Allentown area school board candidates — by more than a 2-to-1 margin — oppose Act 72, the law that could upend how public education is paid for in Pennsylvania. If school boards do not opt in, Harrisburg may force them. Doing so would lower property taxes, raise earned income taxes and restrict what future school boards can spend.
Casino in Strip District raising concerns
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, April 29, 2005
The Buncher Co., a major property owner in the Strip District, has been approached by "most of the players" interested in opening a slot machine parlor in Pittsburgh. Other potential sites for a proposed slots building include Station Square, the area around Mellon Arena, and two separate parcels on the North Shore.
Suddenly, we have the horses
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, May 8, 2005
With each of Pennsylvania's racetracks poised to install 3,000 slot machines, purses at Philadelphia Park are likely to triple. Estimates suggest that with 12 percent of slot revenue dedicated to purses, Philadelphia Park's total would jump from $150,000 a day to $450,000.
Editorial | Pa. Lawmakers and Act 72 Schoolyard bullies
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, May 7, 2005
If lawmakers didn't intend to honor school boards' freedom of choice, why didn't they make Act 72 compulsory in the first place?
Costs are rising for gaming study
Philadelphia Daily News, Friday, May 6, 2005
Mayor Street's Gaming Advisory Task Force may eventually spend $450,000 or more recommending sites for two slots parlors in the city.
Casino opponents rally their troops
The Patriot-News, Friday, May 6, 2005
About 150 Gettysburg area residents met last night to convince state gaming control officials that Gettysburg is the wrong place for a slot-machine parlor.
City cash helps fund task force on slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, May 6, 2005
Mayor Street has committed $78,000 of taxpayers' money to a task force he created to help the city devise a strategy on two slot-machine parlors expected to open in Philadelphia in 2007.
House committee chairman vows to fight any plan to mandate Act 72
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Monday, May 2, 2005
A leading Republican lawmaker says he will fight any effort by Gov. Ed Rendell to force school districts to participate in a property-tax reduction plan.
Township not ready for casino, officials say
The Patriot-News, Monday, May 2, 2005
With the casino coming, and other development likely to follow, East Hanover Twp. officials face many tough questions involving public safety, sewerage and traffic. The township, which is patrolled by state police, must decide whether it should create its own police department.
Bill introduced to require all schools to participate in Act 72
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, May 5, 2005
State Rep. Mike Veon, the No. 2 Democrat in the state House, said he is drafting a bill to mandate that all 501 school districts in Pennsylvania participate a new gambling-funded program of property tax reduction.
Ex-mayoral aide leads task force on slots in city
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, May 5, 2005
Mayor Street's 10-week-old task force on gaming has evolved into a mini-city agency, but one that is operating outside the public eye. It is being run in a city building. It is hiring consultants. And it has a full-time staff — led by one of the mayor's chief advisers, Shawn Fordham.
Report: Act 72 means budget vote
The Morning Call, Thursday, May 5, 2005
If the Allentown School District opts in to Act 72, the school board would have to get the public's approval to raise taxes in 2006 and 2007, an analysis of the tax reform law's impact shows.
State's slots revenue could be highest in U.S., research shows
The Morning Call, Wednesday, May 4, 2005
According to a report by the American Gaming Association, no state in the nation — not even Nevada — rakes in that kind of cash Pennsylvania is projecting to get from gaming taxes on commercial casinos. If Pennsylvania makes $1 billion off slots, it could be the first state in the country to do so. And that means Pennsylvania property owners shouldn't be counting their tax reduction dollars from gambling taxes yet.
Down on the horse farm, breeders betting on slots
The Morning Call, Sunday, May 01, 2005
Anticipated new gambling revenue and bigger purses lead to record foaling season.
Sizing up Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, May 1, 2005
Connecticut's two Indian-owned casino-resorts are flourishing. Indian-owned casinos now operate in 30 states and four Canadian provinces, often nothing more than big bingo halls and sometimes - as in Connecticut - full-fledged casino resorts.
Now there's fun beyond games in Atlantic City
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, May 1, 2005
More than 33 million people stopped by Atlantic City, N.J., last year, with three out of four hailing from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia, according to the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.
Historians shudder at the idea of slots in Gettysburg
The Patriot-News, Sunday, May 1, 2005
Last week's announcement that developers want to build a casino three miles from the battlefield sparked reaction from Civil War buffs and residents of a town used to an influx of tourists.
Casino planners have roots in region
The Patriot-News, Saturday, April 30, 2005
The people who are planning the Gettysburg Gaming Resort & Spa have been in the midstate all along.
Judge denies Act 72 delay
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, April 29, 2005
Commonwealth Court President Judge James Gardner Colins denied the request from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association to delay, by a year, the deadline by which school districts must enroll in the state's property tax rollback program, known as Act 72.
State court won't delay deadline for tax law
The Patriot-News, Friday, April 29, 2005
Commonwealth Court President Judge James Gardner Collins denied a request from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association to postpone the May 30 deadline to decide whether to accept revenue from slots gambling to lower property taxes.
State officials offer two views of Act 72 effects
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, April 28, 2005
A Rendell administration official touted Act 72 as a tax break. But state Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, called the legislation a "hoax," a poor substitute for genuine tax reform and an effort that will benefit the Philadelphia area far more than Western Pennsylvania.
McCain: More Laws Needed on Tribal Casinos
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate's Indian Affairs Committee, said he will seek tougher regulations for the booming tribal gambling industry, which far outpaced Nevada's as it took in $18.5 billion last year. The federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act regulates tribal casinos. It has not been amended since its passage in 1988 helped turn Indian gambling into a huge industry with more than 400 casinos in 28 states.
Developer wants to build casino complex in Gettysburg
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, April 27, 2005
The 42-acre site is the spot where Gettysburg motorcycle dealer David LeVan and his partners want to build a slot machine casino, performing arts theater and health spa that would cost "hundreds of millions of dollars." (Story links to map.)
Betting on the midstate
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Chance Enterprises, a new partnership, hopes to win one of two licenses for a standalone casino — a slots parlor not attached to a racetrack — at sites other than Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. The plans call for a 200-room hotel, venues for shows and restaurants.
Gaming firm posts mixed results
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Penn National Gaming Inc. plans to take a pre-tax charge of $4.3 million in the fourth quarter due to pre-construction costs of a project at Penn National Race Course.
Pulling lever on racetrack slots unlikely before 2007
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Penn National Gaming Inc. expects to open its casino at Penn National Race Course in early 2007, the result of delays in setting up gaming enforcement in Pennsylvania.
A Gettysburg address for slots?
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, April 26, 2005
An unidentified development group plans a news conference in Gettysburg to unveil a proposed gaming resort and spa on a 42-acre tract just north of Route 30. With state approval, such a casino could operate up to 5,000 machines within a year of opening.
Do tourists want casino near historic Gettysburg?
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, April 26, 2005
A study of where casinos should be located, done two years ago for Senate Democrats, said one should go close to the Maryland border, in Adams or York County, in order to draw on the population hub of Baltimore, just 50 miles away.
Legislators give developer a lock on prime tract
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, April 26, 2005
The deal illustrates how legislators can legally circumvent well-established procedures for disposal of state property. Related story: Philly land sale bypassed rules.
Slots suit may delay track picks
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, April 26, 2005
A lawsuit aimed at throwing out Pennsylvania's new slot machine law is delaying the hiring of key personnel, including an executive director, and could push back the awarding of gaming licenses for seven state racetracks from December until February or later.
Few seniors are taking a stand on tax-cut plan
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, April 25, 2005
The state AARP chapter has stopped short of endorsing Act 72, though it is encouraging its members to discuss the program with their local school boards.
City's slots advisory board enters new world
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, April 22, 2005
Volunteer members of the Pittsburgh Citizens Gaming Advisory Panel agreed their role is not to challenge the merits of legalized gambling, but to make it work in the best way possible for the city.
Casino will exact high social cost, study group says
The Patriot-News, Thursday, April 21, 2005
Don't wager that Cumberland County will reap an economic windfall from a slot machine casino at Penn National Race Course, a study group contends. It's a better bet that the county will pay a steep social price with a gambling parlor less than 50 miles away in Grantville, members of Leadership Cumberland's Class of 2005 concluded.
Casino win-loss statement proposed
The Patriot-News, Thursday, April 21, 2005
Pennsylvania's slots players would get a monthly statement from their preferred casino showing how well -- or badly -- they did, under a bill introduced by Rep. Paul Clymer, R-Bucks.
Move afoot to amend state's slot machine law
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, April 21, 2005
An attempt to change Pennsylvania's 2004 slot machine law would force casinos to send monthly financial statements to any big-spending casino patron who receives a "reward card."
Court denies bid for Act 72 hearing
The Patriot-News, Thursday, April 21, 2005
The state Supreme Court refused to grant an immediate hearing on extending the May 30 deadline for school districts to decide whether to join the state's property-tax relief program. Districts' hopes for an extension rest with a similar case filed in Commonwealth Court by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and on legislation sponsored by Rep. Richard Stevenson, R-Butler.
School districts lose fight over Act 72 tax relief deadline
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, April 21, 2005
The state Supreme Court has rejected a petition from five Western Pennsylvania school districts, which had sought to delay the enrollment deadline for a slots-funded property tax rollback program.
Board wants 2nd look at Act 72
The Morning Call, Wednesday, April 20, 2005
With many questions to answer before deciding on Act 72, the Palmerton Area School Board will host a second public hearing to get through what one board member described as ''the smoke and mirrors.''
Act 72 plan doesn't fit style, Barnes says
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell said he does not want anyone stumping for his property tax reduction plan who is less than enthusiastic about it. That's why he said he is letting Education Secretary Francis Barnes take a pass.
Anti-tax groups sit on sidelines over Act 72
The Patriot-News, Monday, April 18, 2005
During the debate over whether school districts should use money from slots parlors for property tax relief under Act 72, conservative anti-tax groups have been largely silent.
A losing hand: Gambling's addictive nature can be a risky wager for teens
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, April 15, 2005
The popularity of televised poker tournaments is attracting kids to gambling, and counselors worry that the lure of easy money and the thrill of winning will turn the card playing craze into an addiction for some.
Campaign cash questioned
Erie Times, Sunday, April 17, 2005
Ted Arneault, president and CEO of MTR Gaming, and Erie developer Greg Rubino have contributed thousands of dollars to campaign committees for state and local officials.
Rendell to Trump: C'mon over and stake a claim
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Friday, April 15, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell wants Donald Trump in the game. Trump's casino company, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, wants to run a slots parlor in Philadelphia.
When its customers return, house wins
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, April 15, 2005
Gary W. Loveman, the chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Harrah's Entertainment Inc., is credited with taking customer tracking to a new level and enabling Harrah's to boost profitability.
Casinos bet big on RFID
Business2.0, March 23, 2005
Casino chips embedded with radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology is headed to Las Vegas, and it may just hit the jackpot.
Gaming
The Patriot-News, Friday, April 15, 2005
Penn National Gaming Inc. said that it has agreed to buy a property in Bangor, Maine, that it will use as a temporary facility for 475 slot machines.
Some seniors like what they hear on Act 72
The Patriot-News, Thursday, April 14, 2005
Retired homeowners stand to gain the most under Rendell's plan. Retirees would get property tax cuts — Rendell officials say the statewide average would be $337 — without having that amount offset by a higher earned income tax.
School directors frustrated by Act 72 teleconference
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Rendell repeatedly warned school directors that the Legislature would impose budget referendums on districts if a number of them opted out of Act 72 in an effort to avoid the referendums.
Rendell pushes slots tax plan
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Gov. Rendell took his case for using slot money for tax relief to a group of seniors, while the Pennsylvania School Boards Association took its case to Commonwealth Court, filing suit to push back the looming deadline for schools to opt into the tax plan.
Gaming board proposes slot machine regulations
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Slot-machine manufacturers and distributors would have to pay a slew of fees, ranging up to $50,000 for a license, and document the identities of their financial backers and creditors under regulations proposed by the state Gaming Control Board. The board will take public comment for 30 days.
Gaming panel considering regional suppliers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, April 13, 2005
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has developed detailed draft regulations for licensing companies that will manufacture and distribute up to 61,000 slot machines for the 14 casinos coming to the Keystone State. The board is seeking public comment on the rules during the next 30 days. Visit www.pgcb.state.pa.us.
School boards association sues over slots deadline
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, April 13, 2005
A lobbying group representing Pennsylvania's school boards has filed a lawsuit seeking to delay the deadline for school districts to enroll in a property tax rollback program funded by gambling revenue.
Rendell continues to plug slots/tax-cut program
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, April 12, 2005
At a Lawrenceville senior center, Gov. Ed Rendell continued to make his case for a plan that will use slot machine revenue to fund a tax rollback for homeowners.
8-month-old gaming plan is stalled at starting gate
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, April 12, 2005
From the start, the board has encountered delays, many beyond its control. The slow pace can be chalked up to a constitutional challenge to the gaming law, a legislative rewrite of board regulations, and an insistence by lawmakers that they recommend or review hires.
Act 72 figures reviewed for board
Easton Times-Express, Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Renters, which account for 34 percent of district residents, would end up paying more taxes each year. "It seems to me that this act effective pits the renters against the seniors," school Director Craig Haytmanek said.
Slots come to Carbon
Times News (tnonline.com), March 31, 2005
Slot machines have been legalized in Pennsylvania and while the licenses for casinos haven't been issued, the one-armed bandits have made an appearance in Carbon County.
Editorial | Take the high road, but do it quickly
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, April 11, 2005
The casino board may be further hampered in its infancy by not requiring that its seven members do this job full-time. Rendell has asked his three appointees to work full-time.
Atlantic City casinos report increased revenue
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, April 11, 2005
Atlantic City's 12 casinos reported $396 million in revenue last month, a 1.9 percent increase over the same period a year ago. Gambling revenue continues to climb, as the resort expands shopping, restaurants and entertainment attractions.
Slots of other states eyeing Pa. gambling
 Philadelphia Daily News, Monday, April 11, 2005
Pennsylvania's entry into industry is triggering efforts elsewhere to expand - or begin – gaming.
Meeting on Act 72 draws no consensus
The Patriot-News, Monday, April 11, 2005
School officials joined about 15 residents at Upper Dauphin Middle School on Thursday to learn more about Act 72, but the meeting apparently did little to help anyone draw conclusions.
2 join horce racing group
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, April 9, 2005
The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association membership has jumped from three companies to five. Joining the association will be MTR Gaming Group and the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority.
Education secretary mum on tax relief
The Patriot-News, Friday, April 8, 2005
As Gov. Ed Rendell's team takes the field with time running out to sell Act 72 to school boards, his education secretary is staying on the sidelines.
W. Va. bill on casino-style gambling at racetracks dead for now
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, April 8, 2005
Legislation allowing casino-style gambling at West Virginia's four racetracks is dead. The bill would have allowed residents in the four counties that host racetracks to vote on whether to permit table games at the tracks.
State has rough road to slots
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Associated Press), Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Pennsylvania's move toward becoming at least the 36th state to offer some form of electronic gambling has become as complicated as a game of craps.
Panel to assess gambling's impact on city
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, April 1, 2005
Saying for the first time publicly that a Pittsburgh slot machine parlor could be "incredibly destructive," Mayor Tom Murphy appointed a panel of 23 community leaders to study the effects of gambling in the city. The panel will have a budget of about $100,000 for staff, technical support and travel to other casinos.
School board group seeks Act 72 pullout option
The Morning Call, Wednesday, April 6, 2005
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association is drafting a resolution that would allow a district to join conditionally and get out sooner.
Everybody breaks even with the Fun Group
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, April 6, 2005
An all-night rain pours down on Edgewood Towne Center parking lot, but inside the big idling tour bus it's all sunshine. This is Anna's Fun Group.
Sidebar story: Mountaineer a model for state gaming parlors
When West Virginia legalized slot-machine parlors in the mid-'90s, residents of each county voted by referendum whether to allow them into their area. Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort started out as a horse-racing-only track.
W.Va. seeks table games at its tracks
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, April 4, 2005
West Virginia is poised to up the ante in the high-stakes, cross-state competition to lure gamblers, as its Legislature prepares a final vote on adding table games to its four racetracks.
MTR pays top dollar
Erie Times-News, Tuesday, April 5, 2005
MTR Gaming Group Inc. paid more than $5.2 million — about $38,000 per acre — for nearly 137 acres of land it bought in March for its proposed Presque Isle Downs racetrack and casino.
Governor's Act 72 session disappoints area educators
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, April 6, 2005
When Gov. Ed Rendell's statewide teleconference with school board members on Act 72 started, about 30 local school officials were gathered in a conference room at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit's headquarters. By the time Rendell finished at 6:45 p.m., more than an hour later, there were only three left.
Public can have a say on slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, April 7, 2005
Philadelphia has set up a Web site where citizens can offer suggestions about the two slot-machine casinos expected to be built in the city.
Rendell's Act 72 pitch gets a cool reception
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell held a teleconference with school board members from around the state because the Act 72 law has been a tough sell. The law would offer participating school districts money from slots parlor revenues to reduce school property taxes. School board members fear having to convince voters to raise taxes.
Leveling the track
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, April 2, 2005
Mike Ballezzi, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said that many horsemen have complained about what they view as cheating. "We need uniform medication penalties and testing," he said.
Rendell Responds
The Patriot-News, Friday, April 1, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell said school boards that are balking at adopting his property-tax plan are "poisoning the well" for his plans to increase the state share of education spending. Rendell said he was increasingly frustrated with school boards and officials wary of his proposal, and he asked "how dare they?" dispute his proposal.
Rendell will make a pitch for tax relief
The Patriot-News, Thursday, March 31, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell will make a sales call on school board members next week to try to get them to buy into his property tax relief plan. He plans to conduct a videoconference at 5 p.m. Tuesday with school directors to talk about Act 72 and answer their questions.
Schools ask delay in opting for slot machine funds
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Five Butler County school districts asked the state Supreme Court to delay the deadline for school districts to opt into the state's new program for funding education with slot machine money.
Murphy expected to name slots panel
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, March 31, 2005
Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy is expected to announce the creation of a gambling advisory board at a news conference in his office this afternoon. The board would be loosely modeled on a similar group created this spring by Philadelphia's Mayor John Street.
Sellers bet land values will soar near track
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Since 1960, Clarence Hess had owned about 74 acres of farmland just down the road from Penn National Race Course. In September, he sold it for $19,655 an acre. Now, he is having regrets. Land nearby is selling for $414,634 an acre.
Sale could save Stack family millions
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, March 30, 2005
State Sen. Michael J. Stack 3d (D., Phila.) and others who own city land that could be the site of a slots parlor stand to save more than $1 million in state income tax on a potential land sale, according to the city and state tax officials. The Stack family, including the senator, would be exempt from state taxes on the sale of 46 acres of land in Fishtown to a Las Vegas-based casino company because the property is in a Keystone Opportunity Zone.
City looking at slots for Penn's Landing
Philadelphia Daily News, Wednesday, March 30, 2005
A group appointed by Mayor Street to study the impact of legalized gambling flirted with an unusual notion yesterday — locating a slots parlor at Penn's Landing.
Horse Racing Seems Headed for Far Turn
The Morning Call Online (Los Angeles Times), Tuesday, March 29, 2005
The sport is struggling to hold on to a loyal audience as fans are lured away throughout the U.S. by other forms of gambling.
FBI probes dealings by 2 senators from Philly
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Federal authorities are making a new push to keep government clean, said John Eckenrode, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division, which includes Harrisburg and southern New Jersey.
State official touts tax cuts from slots
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, March 29, 2005
State Secretary of Community and Economic Development Dennis Yablonsky last night made the first of many public presentations on why Act 72 — the legislation that allows slot machine revenues to be used to reduce local property taxes — is a good thing for taxpayers.
Gaming giants poised for Pa.
Philadelphia Inquirer,Sunday, March 27, 2005
At least three dozen enterprises have expressed interest in landing one of the 14 gambling licenses to be awarded by the Gaming Control Board. From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, many have bought land or options to buy land. Some have forged partnerships with real-estate investors and developers. (Page includes map. The Editor.)
Maryland News
County seeking to shut out slots
Baltimore Sun (Mcall.com), Monday, March 28, 2005
Even as bills to return slot machines to Maryland remain in limbo in the General Assembly, Frederick County — fearful of a House of Delegates plan to put 2,500 of the video lottery terminals inside its borders — is drawing up a local law to keep them out.
Taxes foot bill for board members' cars
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, March 25, 2005
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board member Jeffrey W. Coy cruises across the state in a beige Cadillac DeVille sedan. Taxpayers are paying the $650-a-month tab.
Carbon approves 16,000 properties for slots-related tax relief
The Morning Call, Saturday, March 26, 2005
People tried to qualify second homes, both sides of double homes and even garages for property tax relief. School districts will be allocated gambling revenue based on a state formula that favors districts with low-income populations and high property tax.
Boards will sue for time on Act 72
Easton Express-Times, Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Lawmakers disagree on payout size for individual participating districts.
Law needs to be refocused
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, March 24, 2005
Commentary: Sen. John Gordner (R-Columbia) has offered sensible legislation that would put the cost of mass mailing homestead-exclusion forms — what homeowners must file to qualify for tax credits — on the state, not the school districts. This good-faith measure would relieve school boards of an unfunded mandate.
Schools seek delay in slots tax deadline
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, March 23, 2005
School boards will look to the courts for relief from the May 30 deadline they face for deciding whether to accept money from slots gambling to lower school property taxes. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association yesterday announced it will seek an injunction to delay that deadline.
U.S. probe targets casino site
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, March 23, 2005
For the second time in four months, an investigation has begun into the purchase of land in Pennsylvania that could eventually become the site for a slot machine casino.
School boards grapple with new law's ramifications
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Despite assurances from Gov. Ed Rendell that gambling revenues will be good for schools and good for homeowners, local school districts are weighing the numbers carefully.
Schools raise red flag:
Governor's Act 72 comments stir suspicions for some
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, March 23, 2005
School officials said the requirement to raise earned income tax by at least 0.1 percent makes the legislation, in their eyes, tax-shifting, not tax relief. That would be particularly true for two-income or upper income households and for renters.
Rendell says land deal was proper
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Gov. Rendell said yesterday that the state did nothing wrong when it sold its interest in a 22-acre site along the Delaware River to a company owned in part by state Sen. Michael J. Stack 3d (D., Phila.).
Slots gambling wins out over delays, criticism
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Despite delays and a steady drumbeat of criticism, Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly favor bringing slot machines to the state, according to the new Keystone Poll.
U.S. Attorney's Office probes land deal involving Stack
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, March 22, 2005
State Sen. Michael Stack 3d owns part of a company that could gain from a possible casino in Fishtown.
Fumo aide is called to testify in inquiry
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, March 20, 2005
The top legislative lawyer for State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo has been called to testify before the federal grand jury investigating Fumo's secret dealings with Peco Energy and Verizon.
Online bettors furiously ante up for March Madness
USA Today, Thursday, March 17, 2005
Hundreds of Internet sports-betting sites are expected to rake in $1 billion to $1.3 billion in wagers during March Madness, several market researchers say — at least double this year's Super Bowl.
Bill offers slots cash plan vote
The Express-Times, Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Proposed laws would give voters the final say on whether their school districts should participate in Act 72, a state plan to reduce local property taxes, state lawmakers said.
Rendell reaches out to school districts, urges participation in Act 72
Allentown Morning Call, Wednesday, March 16, 2005
He also says funds left by those not opting in will go to those that do. GOP disputes that idea. Rendell said 317 of the state's 501 districts could raise taxes under Act 72 by 5 percent without needing voter approval.
Downs buys 170 more acres
Erie Times-News, Thursday, March 17, 2005
The subsidiary of Chester, W.Va.-based MTR Gaming Group Inc. closed deals this week on 14 more properties in Summit Township for its planned horse racing track and slot-machine complex.
Gaming could help preserve our values
Express-Times, Saturday, March 12, 2005
Editorial: A portion of the funds should be used to set up a permanent endowment that will help preserve the artistic, cultural and historical values of our region. Michael Stershic is executive director of the Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc.
Rendell may extend tax deadline for schools
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Gov. Ed Rendell is willing to consider pushing back the May 30 deadline for school districts to decide whether to take part in the Act 72 property tax reduction program. Just 4 of 501 school districts have opted in.
Harrisburg lawyer named to job with slots board
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, March 16, 2005
A Harrisburg lawyer who is director of equal employment opportunity for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was named yesterday as deputy chief counsel for administration for the new state agency that will regulate slot-machine gambling.
Rendell takes his plea directly to homeowners
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Saying he was surprised by the reluctance of school districts to sign on to the state's plan to use gambling revenue to cut property taxes, Gov. Rendell appealed directly to homeowners to pressure their school boards to participate.
East Hanover OKs plan for casino at racetrack
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Penn National's plans include restaurants, a clubhouse, valet parking, a five-story parking garage and slot machines. The 35-year-old facility's grandstand would be expanded into a six-story, 325,000-square-feet, 7,500-seat grandstand and clubhouse.
Lottery sees self-serve as just the ticket
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, March 15, 2005
The lottery's new self-service ticket dispensers were introduced last year, and there are 270 sprinkled around the state. Lottery Executive Director Ed Mahlman said 1,000 self-serve machines should be in service by year's end.
What do feds want from Fumo?Source: Ties to nonprofits eyed
Philadelphia Daily News, Saturday, March 12, 2005
FBI agents recently seized documents - including records from a computer hard drive - from legislative offices of one of the city's most powerful politicians, state Sen. Vince Fumo, according to a source familiar with the ongoing federal probe.
Rendell pushing school boards to 'opt in' on Act 72 slot revenue
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Rendell said yesterday he'll personally conduct a statewide video teleconference with school boards this month as a way to persuade them to "opt in" to Act 72, the property tax relief act to be paid for with new state revenues from slot machine gambling.
On tapes, working a deal on racetrack
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, March 13, 2005
Wiretapped talks offer a look at city power brokers trying to get big-name investors for a Navy Yard gambling plan.
How the Act works
Valley News Dispatch, Sunday, March 13, 2005
How Act 72 would work in most of the Alle-Kiski Valley's school districts if they decided to opt in.
Way cleared for land to be used for slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, March 12, 2005
A clause in a 1994 deed that would have prohibited building a slots parlor on 46 acres along the Delaware River has been lifted by a quasi-public city agency.
Slots + tax cuts = uncertainty
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, March 14, 2005
Some officials in Gateway and Charleroi school districts are having second thoughts about whether they did the right thing in agreeing to participate in a new property-tax reduction program funded by slot machine revenue. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association released a survey answered by about half of the state's 501 school districts. About a third are considering opting in, about a third likely will not and about a third are undecided.
Maryland's cautionary tale
The Patriot-News, Monday, March 14, 2005
Editorial: It's only a short hop from park lodges, as our neighboring state may unfortunately prove, to offering slots at state parks, an appalling corruption of the notion of the park as a place to get back to nature.
Mars Area requests delay in slots' May 30 deadline
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, March 13, 2005
Mars Area School District plans to petition the state Supreme Court to extend the deadline for school districts to decide whether they will participate in the system in which state gambling proceeds could support public education.
Schools waver on slots decision
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, March 11, 2005
State Sen. Jim Ferlo wants to postpone by seven months the deadline for school districts to decide whether to participate in a new property-tax reduction program funded by slot machine revenue. The governor, however, is against any postponements.
Schools balk at slots tax relief
The Patriot-News, Friday, March 11, 2005
Almost all Pennsylvania school districts are wavering on whether they should accept money from slots and offer residents property tax cuts.
Casino law unsound, gaming foe tells court
The Patriot-News, Thursday, March 10, 2005
James West, the lead attorney for opponents of Pennsylvania's slots law, told the state Supreme Court that key measures were hidden from public view in a 145-page amendment passed after midnight on July 1. The slots law approved last year violated state constitutional rules requiring all bills to stick to one subject, West said.
Stack family could hit slots jackpot
Philadelphia Daily News, Wednesday, March 9, 2005
State Sen. Michael Stack and his family would hit the jackpot if a Las Vegas casino exercises its option on a plot of Delaware River waterfront. Stack confirmed that Ameristar Casino Inc. would pay $40 million to buy the 46-acre parcel in Fishtown. Stack and his four siblings each own 4 percent of Beach Street Corp., one of two companies that own the land. Stack's father, Michael Stack Jr.,Democratic leader of the 58th Ward, gave them that stock and owns another 20 percent of the company.
Senator owns land sought for slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, March 9, 2005
State Sen. Michael Stack 3d (D., Phila.) holds an interest in a company that owns land at a potential site for a slots parlor along the Delaware River north of Penn Treaty Park. The property was purchased in 2004 from the state after the asking price for a total of 22 acres was reduced from $1.5 million to $100,000.
They got a good deal
Philadelphia Daily News, Tuesday, March 8, 2005
State Sen. Michael Stack III and his father, a Democratic ward leader under felony indictment, own stakes in a 46-acre plot optioned by a casino company vying for a slots parlor here.
Credit-rating issue affects school bonds
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Moody's Investors Service, in a special advisory issued last week, said it will likely downgrade its credit ratings "one notch" on certain future bond issues in school districts that participate in the state program, known as Act 72.
Foes call slots law too broad
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Christ Lapp, operator of the Good 'n Plenty Restaurant in Smoketown, has joined a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the slot-machine gambling law signed by Gov. Edward Rendell in July.
Rethinking Philadelphia: Designing a better casino
Philadelphia Daily News, Tuesday, March 8, 2005
Check out the student proposals (with photos) for integrating a casino into Philadelphia, and see which looks best.
Slots and the city
Philadelphia Daily News, Tuesday, March 8, 2005
Read about the winning casino design candidates from the Daily News and the University of Pennsylvania student design project, and send an e-mail vote for your favorite.
Lessons we learn will shape our future
Philadelphia Daily News, Tuesday, March 8, 2005
Mayor Street: "The location of two slots parlors and support facilities could well be the most important decision made in this city in the last 50 years and could impact the quality of life and opportunity in our city for the next 50 years."
Slots challenged as stealthy lawmaking
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, March 8, 2005
Five state residents who are plaintiffs in a lawsuit to overturn the slots law allege the process that supporters used to pass the bill violated numerous sections of the state constitution.
State's slot-machine law faces court test
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Associated Press), Monday, March 7, 2005
On March 9, justices of the state's highest court will hear arguments from gambling foes and good-government advocates who claim the procedural gymnastics used to shove the 145-page slots bill through the General Assembly last summer violate the state constitution.
Exploited? Babes not so innocent
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, March 6, 2005
Column: Hands up if you're outraged over the Borgata's efforts to keep its Babes babelicious by sticking them on the scales and sending them to the gym at the first sight of flab.
Penn National warming up for issuance of slots licenses
The Patriot-News, Sunday, March 6, 2005
The state Gaming Control Board has said that the first slots licenses won't be issued before December, but Penn National Gaming Inc. said that should not change its plans to build a casino in East Hanover Twp.
Dems slam districts on tax plan
The Express-Times, Friday, March 4, 2005
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is coming to the Lehigh Valley at the end of this month to correct the "false information" school districts are dispensing on property tax reform.
Analyst: Tax plan would hit renters, high earners
The Express-Times, Thursday, March 3, 2005
A plan to reform school district property taxes shifts the tax burden to higher wage earners and renters, a financial analyst said. People who make above $50,000 would pay more taxes overall.
Slots licenses could come this year
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, March 4, 2005
The state gambling board said yesterday it hoped to award the first temporary slots gambling licenses to horse tracks by December, but warned that the slow pace of hiring its staff could delay those efforts.
Gaming board lists its time line
Philiadelphia Daily News, Friday, March 5, 2005
The board has not been very adept at meeting its own deadlines to detail how it is spending some of a $7.5 million loan from the General Assembly to get things running in its first two years.
Tentative date set for license approval
The Patriot-News, Friday, March 4, 2005
The first slots licenses for racetracks in Pennsylvania could be issued in December, state Gaming Control Board officials said.
Las Vegas-based firm vying for city slots license
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, March 4, 2005
A Las Vegas-based operator of riverboat and land casinos has emerged as another contender for a Philadelphia slots license. The firm, Ameristar Casinos Inc., runs a sort of old-fashioned gambling operation.
W.Va. may bring casino games to table
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, March 3, 2005
A West Virginia state senator plans to introduce a bill that would allow voters in four counties with racetracks to decide whether to add casino-style table games to the slot machines that already ring up $854 million in annual profit. Some are betting that Pennsylvania inevitably will follow suit.
MTR may get $25M
Erie Times-News, Thursday, March 3, 2005
MTR Gaming Group Inc. would get up to $5 million for each of the first five years, or $25 million total, for infrastructure needs at its planned horse racing track and slots casino on Route 97, south of Interstate 90 in Summit Township.
State gives slot-machine computer contract to R.I. firm
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, March 3, 2005
The State Revenue Department selected Gtech Corp. to supply a computer system that will watch over as many as 61,000 slot machines at 14 locations across the state. The company operates 70 percent of the world's online lotteries.
State picks high-tech company to monitor slots
The Patriot-News, Thursday, March 3, 2005
The state will pay for up-front equipment and software costs, but Revenue officials could not provide a cost estimate for that last night. Project designers have touted the central-control monitoring as the central nervous system for the state's oversight of the new industry, critical to ensuring that slots play follows the book for players, the state and casino operators.
Northern Lebanon board wary of tax law
The Patriot-News, Thursday, March 3, 2005
If a law that would use gambling revenue to provide property tax relief were put to a vote before the Northern Lebanon School Board, board chairman Brian Wolfe said he believes it would fail.
Vegas firm options riverfront plot
Philadelphia Daily News, Thursday, March 3, 2005
A Las Vegas casino company has an option to buy 46 acres of waterfront property along the Delaware River in Fishtown near Penn Treaty Park. The land is owned by companies controlled by James J. Anderson, a Bucks County construction company owner with political ties to Democrats and Republicans. A spokeswoman for Ameristar Casinos Inc. in Las Vegas, confirmed that the company planned to seek one of the two planned licenses for slots parlors in Philadelphia.
Auctioning an era
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, March 3, 2005
At once-beautiful Mount Airy Lodge, all you have to bring this weekend is your checkbook. Heart-shaped tubs and other memories will be sold. The new owner, Scranton businessman Louis A. DeNaples, a deep-pockets political contributor who acquired the property for $25 million, is expected to apply for a license to open a slots casino. That is problematical, because his past includes a federal felony conviction for fraud in 1978.
White Cited Racetrack Deal to City's Ex-Finance Director
Philadelphia Daily News, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
In a secretly recorded conversation played on Feb. 1 in federal court, power lawyer Ron White was heard possibly offering a lucrative share of a Philadelphia racetrack deal to a top city official with whom he did business.
Tax Relief
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, March 1, 2005
Editorial: Taxpayers may or may not understand that any significant reduction in the property tax is going to involve a shift in the means of taxation. Gambling revenues will help — if the governor's initiative survives a court challenge — but not as much as many might have hoped.
Gambling law attacked, defended in court briefs
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Associated Press), Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005
State Supreme Court justices will hear arguments March 9 in the lawsuit, which could have significant bearing on whether the newly legalized slot machines can deliver property tax relief in Pennsylvania.
Deadlines loom for property-tax relief program
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Monday, Feb. 28, 2005
Pennsylvania homeowners have only a day left to sign up for a share of $1 billion a year in promised property-tax cuts that will be financed by taxes on slot-machine gambling.
Tax relief from slot parlors comes at price for players
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005
The average gambler would have to lose $750 a year for a Pa. resident to get back $330 in cuts.
State ready to award a slots contract
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, Feb. 28, 2005
In the coming days, the state is expected to award a multimillion-dollar contract for an elaborate computer system to monitor the proposed 61,000 slot machines at 14 locations across the state.
How big will my tax cut be?
The Patriot-News, Monday, Feb. 28, 2005
Estimates show property tax reductions would range from $167 in Palmyra to $576 in Lebanon. The statewide average is $333. Gov. Ed Rendell predicts that won't happen until at least 2007.
School tax reform has boards in quandary
The Patriot-News, Monday, Feb. 28, 2005
Local income levies would rise, and renters would see no benefit.
Property tax relief filing deadline is Tuesday
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005
"Once gaming operations are in full swing, homeowners across the state are going to benefit by significantly lower property taxes," Gov. Ed Rendell said.
State urges homeowners to seek rebates
The Patriot-News, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005
Statewide, the return rate is about 60 percent. State officials hope that number will increase as the deadline nears.
Slots squeeze by in Md. House
Baltimore Sun, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005
The Maryland House of Delegates approved a slots bill by the thinnest possible margin, moving Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s signature initiative closer than ever to passage, after three years of often vitriolic negotiations.
Former A.C. mayor opposes slots plan
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005
Warning of "disastrous implications" for South Jersey, a former mayor of Atlantic City urged acting Gov. Richard J. Codey to back away from a plan to help close a $4 billion budget gap by allowing video slots at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Codey to propose video slots at Meadowlands
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Feb. 25, 2005
Looking for ways to fill a $4 billion budget hole, acting Gov. Richard J. Codey will propose allowing video slot machines at the Meadowlands Racetrack in North Jersey, state officials said.
Decision on Act 72 could require ‘luck'
Carlisle Sentinel, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005
Under ideal circumstances — $500 million in gambling revenue and a
minimum .1 percent income tax hike — the average South Middleton township resident would pay about $76 less. Under extreme circumstances — $500 million in gambling revenue and a 2.1 percent income tax increase — the average township resident would pay about $274 more.
Boards lack info to give Act 72 OK
Carlisle Sentinel, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005
Editorial: The trouble with Act 72 is that the state is expecting school boards to make a decision based on smoke and mirrors. People are supposed to buy into it because of three golden words: "property tax reduction."
Township planners give OK on casino
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005
Plans for a $240 million slots casino at Penn National Race Course's Grantville track are ready for the East Hanover Twp. supervisors.
City slots board opens its 'public process' in secret
Philadelphia Daily News, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005
Mayor Street challenged his new Gaming Advisory Board to engage in a "public process" that he predicted will be critical to the future of the city. Then Street kicked the public out of the meeting, allowing the board to start working in secret on Philadelphia's vision for legalized slot machines.
Slots advisory panel works on a game plan
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005
Recommendations for the two parlors are due this year. Among the key decisions: Location.
Beaver, Lawrence vie for final track license
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005
The state Harness Racing Commission continued hearings yesterday on whether a Lawrence County developer or his Beaver County competitor should get the state's fourth and final harness racing license.
ASD board considers options before deciding if it will take gaming funds
The Leader Times, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005
A homeowner in the Armstrong School District making a little more than $50,000 a year could end up paying more taxes if the school board decides to take slots revenues from the state.
Colleges teach how to win jobs at casinos
The Patriot-News, Monday, Feb. 21, 2005
Nationally, a growing number of schools are offering casino-management courses to fill an expanding need for managers and security workers in the burgeoning casino industry.
200 apartments proposed for former Steel offices
The Express-Times, Monday, Feb. 21, 2005
The BethWorks Now developers are eyeing the former Steel General Office building for the first of what could become several residential uses on abandoned Bethlehem Steel land.
Gambling in the future
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005
A planned casino in Pittsburgh is expected to attract thousands of gamblers daily, producing an estimated $200 million for the house from its slot machines each year.
Will slots siphon lottery revenues?
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005
State senators pressed state Revenue Secretary Greg Fajt last week on just one of the many multimillion dollar questions pertaining to the imminent arrival of slot machines.
Gambling board might examine $280M track sale
Erie Times-News (Associated Press), Sunday, Feb. 20 , 2005
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's growing list of challenges now includes figuring out what, if anything, it should do about the recent sale of an aging Wilkes-Barre harness-racing facility for the eye-popping price of $280 million.
Gamble in Calif. is paying off
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005
Thunder Valley, about 110 miles from Reno, Nev., offers a glimpse of what may soon arrive in Philadelphia under Pennsylvania's new gambling law.
Horse Racing: Pittsburgh man leading Eclipse runner-up to Derby
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005
The man leading Eclipse Award runner-up Afleet Alex down the road to the Kentucky Derby is a Pittsburgher.
Gambling could pay big
Erie Times-News, Saturday, Feb. 19 , 2005
Newly proposed state legislation would allow Summit Township to get the bulk of gaming revenue from a planned slots casino and horse racing track.
Borgata tells its Babes to stay thin or be fired
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Feb. 18, 2005
The casino is imposing weight limits on its cocktail servers and will fire those who gain more than 7 percent of their baseline body weight and can't shed it through a company-financed weight loss program.
Lieberman seeks casino license
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, Feb. 18, 2005
Pittsburgh oversight board Chairman Bill Lieberman said he is talking with Forest City Enterprises about joining its team in the contest to win a slot machine license.
Potential slots distributor needs license
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, Feb. 18, 2005
A new Philadelphia company has surfaced as the first potential distributor of slot machines in Pennsylvania.
Casino's garage request approved
The Patriot-News, Friday, Feb. 18, 2005
Plans to construct a $240 million slots casino at the Grantville racetrack are a step closer to final approval by East Hanover Twp.
Lemieux optimistic regarding new arena
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005
"We see that the award of a slots license is paramount, as we view it, in the financing program for a new arena," Penguins team president Ken Sawyer said.
Bill would upgrade slots-law violations
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005
The state Senate voted to add violations of the state's new slots law to the offenses that can be prosecuted as organized crime.
Council hears critics of slots plan
The Express-Times, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005
The debate over gambling's ills and benefits visited city council chambers, days after the South Side emerged as Bethlehem's lone potential home to slot machines.
Riverfront proposal creation gets OK
The Express-Times, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005
The Phillipsburg town council Tuesday night gave local developer Michael Perrucci the OK to create a redevelopment proposal for Phillipsburg's riverfront.
Does state want an Atlantic City?
Erie Times-News, Monday, Feb. 14, 2005
Editorial: Pennsylvanians should wait to see the slots and tax reform in operation. Then, the state can debate expanded gambling.
Land buy changes slots parlor picture
The Express-Times, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005
Bethlehem has lost one of two competitors for a slots parlor license.
Gambling giants' interest 'good thing' for state's future
Erie Times-News (Associated Press), Friday, Feb. 11, 2005
Interest from gambling giants in owning casinos in Pennsylvania is a "good thing" and a sign the nascent industry can be profitable enough to return money for sought-after property tax cuts, the state's gambling commission chairman said.
Residents criticize funding schools from slots
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005
Replacing some property taxes with slots revenue might not be a good thing for the Palmyra Area School District, two residents told the school board last week.
Seek rebate, homeowners urged
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005
Harrisburg homeowners stand to get a $628 rebate on their school taxes under the state's slots gambling law.
Letters | Gambling watchdogs
Philadelphia Daily News, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005
We, the senators who represent Philadelphia in Harrisburg, welcome the Daily News' promise to be the watchdog of gambling implementation (editorial, Feb. 5.) We also welcome the participation of the mayor's advisory committee and members of academia. (Daily News Editor's Note: This letter was signed by State Sens. Vincent Fumo, Shirley M. Kitchen, Anthony Williams, Vincent Hughes, Tina Tartaglione and Michael Stack.)
Designing right slots for the city
Philadelphia Daily News, Monday, Feb. 14, 2005
Design proposals for city slots parlors, produced by students at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design in a 30-hour weekend planning blitz, are going straight to the top.
At Penn, taking a chance on slots
Philadelphia Daily News, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005
WHEN IT COMES to developing slots parlors, Philadelphia must "do it right or not at all," said Mayor Street as he kicked off a weekend-long examination at the University of Pennsylvania of the best designs for slot parlors in the city.
Pa. high court to hear case against slots law in March
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court Friday agreed to take up a constitutional challenge to the state's new slot-machine law and put the case on a fast track. Oral arguments are scheduled for March 9 in Pittsburgh.
Future looks good for racing in Pa.
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005
Imagine two years from now when Philadelphia Park racing is competitive with that in New Jersey, Delaware, and even New York, when the fields are full and often classy and when $400,000 is a daily purse average.
Slot-machine distributor is named
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005
Several politically connected people have been granted the exclusive rights to distribute slot machines in Pennsylvania for Aristocrat Technologies Inc., one of the top slot-machine makers in the world.
Betting on improved urban casino
Philadelphia Daily News, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005
The state legislature has rigged the site selection process for two Philadelphia slot parlors so that local residents have darn little say in where they go or how they look.
Business owners gather to seek slice of gaming
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005
Lawyers, architects, investment bankers and interior designers are already lining up to be part of Pennsylvania's expansion in the gambling industry.
Bethlehem Works Web site for sale
The Easton Expres-Times, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005
First, Bethlehem Steel was abandoned. Now the Web site started to herald its rebirth is abandoned, too.
Police ask motel, hotel owners to help spot crime
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005
Faced with drug trafficking at hotels and motels throughout the township, the Bensalem Police Department yesterday reached out to the hospitality industry to help it curtail illicit activities.
Odds are smoking ban won't apply in parlors
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005
If Philadelphia tries to snuff out smoking in the workplace, the rule in the city's two planned slot machine parlors may still be, "Smoke 'em if you got 'em."
Parlor parleys
Philadelphia Daily News, Thurday, Feb. 10, 2005
Teams of more than 100 Penn design students will spend the weekend investigating everything from the best architecture to the right landscaping for two hypothetical slot parlor sites: one on the waterfront of South Columbus Boulevard, and on in Center City, on Market Street East.
Trio steps forward as Powerball winners
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005
Three Pittsburgh-area women who work at PNC Financial Services Group will split $14.7 million for sharing the winning ticket in the Jan. 22 Powerball drawing.
District discusses slots-revenue plan
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005
Northern Lebanon homeowners would save $168 in property taxes if the school board opts into the program. But that amount would vary depending on how much people lose to Pennsylvania's newly legalized slot machines.
Summit panel to dole out track revenue
Erie Times-News, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005
Summit Supervisors took the first step to create an authority that would accept some or all of the township's annual share of slots revenues at the yet-to-be built Presque Isle Downs horse racing track and slots casino. The authority then would decide where the money could be used in Summit and other Erie County municipalities.
Big, optimistic crowd sees plans for Steel land
The Express-Times, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005
An IMAX theater and the preservation of both Bethlehem Steel architecture and the steelworkers' spirit are some of what city residents want the casino-centric Bethlehem Works to have.
Yes, Gambling Brings Problems
Erie Times-News, Monday, Feb. 7, 2005
Ontario has seen the dark side of Lady Luck: Too many adults in the Canadian province have become addicted to gambling.
Some State Salaries May Surprise You
wgalchannel.com, Monday, Feb. 7, 2005
You might be surprised just how much some full-time and part-time state workers take home.
Expanding gambling: Seeking cover
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005
Editorial: The promise of significant property tax reduction is fading.
Evidence vs. alarm about gambling
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, Feb. 7, 2005
Commentary: In West Virginia and Delaware, slots have produced thousands of new jobs, saved the racing industry, revitalized local businesses, helped improve local communities, and produced much-needed government revenue with no measurable increase in the rates of addiction, bankruptcy, suicide or crime — Thomas M. Kauffman, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association.
Editorial: Table this bet / Get slots right first before adding more games
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Feb. 7, 2005
Editorial: It's also possible that in the future, particularly if an Indian tribe has its way in building a Las Vegas-style casino in Ohio near the Pennsylvania border, instituting table games might be a prudent move to compete with other states.
Racetrack developers still at odds
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Feb. 7, 2005
The conflict is accelerating between two developers jockeying to create a glitzy racetrack and gambling palace in Western Pennsylvania.
Pa. school boards may oppose law on gaming
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association is considering either a court challenge or a campaign to change a new law that requires school districts to limit future tax increases if they accept gambling revenue to cut property taxes.
Realtors hope for slots-plan bonanza
The Patriot-News, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005
The proposal also could mean a boom in development around the track, which is off Exit 80 of Interstate 81. Realtors predict the investment will bring retail development on nearby property and higher real estate prices around Grantville.
Across the state line, a peek at Slotsylvania's future
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005
Columnist: Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort sits like an upscale shopping mall on a lonely stretch of Route 2, as if some drunken contractor had tired of his long journey and built on the first empty spot.
Better slots operation planned
The Patriot-News, Friday, Feb. 4, 2005
Penn National Gaming Inc. said it intends to spend up to $240 million for the project, including $50 million for a state gaming license. The company initially estimated an investment of about $150 million.
Penn National Gaming to split stock
The Patriot-News, Friday, Feb. 4, 2005
The stock closed yesterday at $66.49 a share, down $2.24. The shares have increased more than 70 percent in value since Penn National announced last November that it would buy Argosy Gaming Co.
Step right up, take no chances on gambling
Philadelphia Daily News, Friday, Feb. 4, 2005
Editorial: You can attend one of two public events during the charrette weekend, next Thursday at 6 p.m. and Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Myerson Hall, Room B1, 34th and Walnut at the University of Pennsylvania.
Las Vegas-style casinos in Ohio planned by tribe
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Feb. 4, 2005
A Native American tribe is making a push to build Las Vegas-style casinos in Ohio, including one perched near the Pennsylvania border to attract gamblers from the Pittsburgh area.
Wider gambling sought
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
"We started with slot machines and now we should complete the job, because there is no practical difference between putting $10 in a slot machine and putting $10 on a blackjack or poker table," House Minority Leader H. William DeWeese, D-Greene, said.
Tax-relief bid deadline nears
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
Nearly six in 10 Pennsylvania homeowners have signed up for the promised slot-machine-funded school property tax relief, according to Gov. Ed Rendell's administration.
Developer hopes to revamp Phillipsburg's riverfront
Express-Times (Easton, Pa.), Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
A former Phillipsburg resident is eyeing his hometown's riverfront for a planned retail and entertainment complex anchored by a slots parlor at the former Bethlehem Steel property.
Tamaqua asks if slots are safe bet
The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.), Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
Tamaqua Area School District directors debated whether the district should gamble on Act 72. But after a detailed presentation by their business manager, school directors were left with more questions than answers.
Slots revenue legislation mystifies members of Palmerton Area board
The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.), Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
The blank expressions from the 40 or so people listening to a presentation of the Act 72 legislation to the Palmerton Area School Board spoke volumes, with all trying to grasp the intricacies of the complex new law aimed at reducing school property taxes.
Residents, board wonder if Act 72 is worth gamble
Carlisle Sentinel, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
Uncertainty over its impact has some in Mechanicsburg Area School District wondering if Act 72 is really worth the gamble. Lawmakers bet on expanded gambling
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
Two Democratic leaders said they intend to introduce legislation to expand gambling in Pennsylvania to permit poker, blackjack, roulette and other table games at casinos.
Restrictions could limit slot parlor earnings
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2005
Philadelphia risks getting few of the positive spin-offs from slot machines if casino developers are not allowed — or cannot afford — to build major developments worth up to $1 billion.
Know gambling's true costs
Metro Commentary: "To oversee our slots operations, I would have chosen people who have experienced firsthand the addictive, and negative, effects of gaming."
Space Available: The Realities of Convention Centers as Economic Development Strategy
The Brookings Institution, January 2005
Report: W hile the supply of exhibit space in the United States has expanded steadily, the demand for convention and tradeshow exhibit space, and the attendees these events and space bring to a city, has actually plummeted. . . . In city after city, the new private investment and development that these convention centers were supposed to spur has simply not occurred.
Expert says slots impact won't be known for years
Like many other school districts around the state, Pine-Richland is trying to decide whether to accept money from gambling revenues.
Las Vegas: Wish we were you
A combination of new competition and changing consumer preferences have forced a sea change in the gambling industry, and Atlantic City is in the midst of a major transformation: It's becoming "Vegas East."
Philadelphia Park could be first in region to offer slots
Philadelphia Park, the former home of Smarty Jones, is planning to spend $150 million to set up a temporary slots parlor that could open for business about 10 months after getting a conditional license early this summer.
Gambling board drives off with deal
Column: Gaming Control Board members now are able to lease any vehicle that tickles their fancy for up to $650 a month.
School districts could give slot revenue a spin
At least 10 Allegheny County school districts are spending about $10,000 each to help figure out whether signing on for slot machine revenue would be a good deal.
Track sale a test for Pa. law on gambling
The state's new gambling law requires the fledgling gambling board to decide whether the sale price was too high.
Online poll tracks interest in gambling
A group of budding community leaders and a regional bus company have posted an online poll to learn more about who is gambling and confirm their guess that the addition of slots in Pennsylvania will increase casino trips.
District wagers guesses on slots revenue
City homeowners could save more than $300 each in property taxes if the school board chooses to use revenue from slot machines to help support public schools. No one will know for at least a year after slot parlors open whether the revenue projections are accurate, district Business Manager George Longridge said.
Narrowing the odds for slots sabotage
State Revenue Secretary Greg Fajt will soon buy a sophisticated central control computer system that will keep track of the wagering and money-handling at all 61,000 slot machines that could eventually exist at 14 casinos across Pennsylvania.
Pa. gambling board adopts car reimbursement plan
The fledgling gambling-control board met for the second time yesterday, with the board voting to hire two staff members and to adopt an auto reimbursement plan modeled after one used by the state legislature, considered one of the most generous plans in the country.
Gaming panel gives itself car perks
Members of the state Gaming Control Board, who earn $145,000 a year, yesterday granted themselves the opportunity to obtain a state-leased car; be reimbursed for a private lease at up to $650 a month; or use their own vehicle and claim mileage at 40.5 cents per mile.
3 to head city task force on slots
Mayor Street yesterday named three people to head a task force that will develop a slots plan that the city will eventually present to the state Gaming Control Board.
Forums planned on school-tax changes
The first of three forums to inform residents about the tax-reform law that legalized slots casinos will be at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at Lebanon High School.
Slots-free Steel could stall project for 10-15 years
Getting a gaming license is the lynchpin for a roughly $879 million plan to redevelop former Bethlehem Steel Property, developer Mike Perrucci said.
Many homeowners fuzzy on property tax break
Confusion continues to surround the homestead exemption applications that homeowners must file if they want to share in any possible future school property tax reductions that may become available from slot machine funding.
Space Available: The Realities of Convention Centers as Economic Development Strategy
Report: W hile the supply of exhibit space in the United States has expanded steadily, the demand for convention and tradeshow exhibit space, and the attendees these events and space bring to a city, has actually plummeted. . . . In city after city, the new private investment and development that these convention centers were supposed to spur has simply not occurred.
Bad policy: Potemkin villaging
Editorial: A new Brookings Institution study confirms what we've been saying for years — publicly subsidized convention centers and related hotels are bad public policy.
Media oppose bill to exclude racino applicants’ records
In Maine, media and anti-gambling groups are challenging provisions of the bill, which would allow Penn National to keep the wraps on personal, criminal and other material on its application for a state license.
Slot Parlors Sites Make this a joint venture
Editorial: Philadelphians can't afford to have the location of this city's two casinos imposed on them without having something to say about it. It's time to get into this game before the state gambling control board declares it over.
Horse Racing: Eclipse horse of year will cross finish line tomorrow night
The top-earning thoroughbred was, not surprisingly, Smarty Jones — and by a huge amount. He earned $7,563,535.
Forms trickle in for tax breaks
If Pennsylvania homeowners want to receive a modest property-tax reduction from the state's new gambling revenue, they should keep in mind two important deadlines: March 1 and May 30.
Fumo aide: Lehigh Valley a lock to get casino
A legislative aide who helped write Pennsylvania's new gambling law said there is no doubt that the Allentown-Bethlehem area will get a slot-machine casino.
Casino plans spark call for hearing
Citing a need to explore the pros and cons of legalized gambling, Northampton County Councilman Nick Sabatine said he wants a public hearing on slot machine parlors proposed in Palmer Township and Bethlehem.
District asks for input on shifting tax burden
According to George Brubaker, the district's solicitor, the state estimates the average tax reduction for Palmyra property owners to be $110, of which $48 would come from gambling revenue. The other $62 would come from a 0.1 percent increase in the local earned-income tax.
Deal approved
Argosy Gaming Inc. stockholders yesterday approved the company's acquisition by Penn National Gaming Inc. for $47 a share.
Gaming board to occupy former Verizon site
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will move into the fifth floor of Strawberry Square's Third Street tower later this winter. The state approved a five-year sub-lease agreement with Verizon Pennsylvania Inc. for the now-vacant office space. The lease will cost $286,416 annually for 20,650-square-feet.
Caesars buys riverfront land, envisioning slots
Caesars Entertainment Inc., an operator of casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas has paid $64.7 million for a site along the Delaware River that it hopes to turn into a slots parlor. The land fronts South Columbus Boulevard between Reed and Dickinson Streets, across from the Riverview Stadium 17 theater complex.
Study: Older adults are not wiser about betting
A University of Pennsylvania and Penn State College of Medicine study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, found that of 843 Philadelphia-area residents 65 and older, 70 percent had gambled in the past year on lottery tickets, bingo, Atlantic City casinos or other (sometimes illegal) options. About 4 percent of those interviewed admitted betting more than they could afford to lose.
Senior gamblers risking finances, study finds
Nearly 70 percent of 843 older patients surveyed who received care at Penn's primary-care practices and the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center said they had gambled within the last year. National surveys found that 23 percent of the elderly had gambled within the last year in 1975, compared with 50 percent in 1998.
Former Clinton aide hired to help Penguins' slots bid
An adviser during the Gore and Kerry presidential campaigns who also worked for former President Clinton has been hired to help the Pittsburgh Penguins land a gambling license.
One pay raise isn't enough for Rendell
Editorial: Gov. Ed Rendell said last month he believes he has done an outstanding job in his first two years in office. Apparently, he believes he should be well compensated for his performance.
Despite high tax, area holds appeal for slot venues
At a seminar on gambling, a consultant said the levy could result in more elaborate developments.
Casino's winning hand
Propelled by the popularity of the Borgata, Atlantic City casinos won 7.1 percent more from gamblers last year than in the previous year.
Cornwall-Lebanon schools consider tax alternative
Taxpayers in the Cornwall-Lebanon School District may save an average of $167 in property taxes, but would most likely pay more earned-income tax, if the district adopts provisions in a new tax reform law.
Penn National OKs deal, raises purses
Penn National Race Course and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association yesterday announced that they have entered into a new seven-year racing contract.
Bingo under fire
Fire departments, churches and fraternal groups fear the slot machines coming to racetracks will lure away the bingo players who have helped fill their coffers for years.
Sales pitch for slot site: Traffic wouldn't suffer
Moving to counter complaints that a 5,000-machine slot parlor in Center City would clog nearby streets, the owner of one potential site (the Girard Estate near the Convention Center) says most gamblers would come by foot and public transit, not car or chartered bus.
Bensalem Twp. names seven to gambling advisory board
In establishing a gaming advisory board this week and naming seven residents to it, Bensalem Township officials hope to address residents' questions and fears about the coming slots.
Valley sites still in running for horse racing, slots
The state Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Horse Racing Commission to schedule hearings for Pennsylvania's sole remaining thoroughbred racing license.
MTR wants help fixing roads
MTR Gaming Group Inc. wants the local community to bear some of the infrastructure costs when it builds its $80 million horse racing track and slots complex, presumably in Summit Township.
Potential slots applicant shows what board faces
Louis A. DeNaples, a Scranton-area businessman who wants to build a gambling hall at a defunct Mount Pocono resort he recently bought, might test some of the issues that the state's new gambling control board will face as it awards slots licenses.
Respecting the constitution
Editorial: Lawmakers, as they all too frequently do, overrode and ignored long-standing and explicit constitutional procedures to approve the gambling law.
Stocks in most area firms rise
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2005
Penn National Gaming Inc. was worth a gamble in 2004. Its stock more than doubled in price.
State court urged to drop slots suit
Leaders in the state Senate and the Attorney General's Office want the state Supreme Court to throw out a lawsuit that accuses the legislature of having used unconstitutional methods in approving slot-machine gambling in July.
Gambling law challenge continues
The state's top court has rejected his arguments once, but Beaver County developer Charles J. Betters is continuing his court challenges to Pennsylvania's slot machine gambling law. (Includes timeline of Betters' challenges. The Editor.)
Gambling Board Ethics A system blinking red
Editorial: Pennsylvania's ethics code is weak at best with few constraints on political activity or ex parte meetings with competing parties — such as slots license applicants. It has no tough, enforceable rules on conflicts of interest.
Metro Commentary: Pennsylvania needs an overhaul, starting with its arcane structure
In enacting the recent gambling laws, legislators included a provision enabling them to have a 1 percent interest in slots parlors, which is ethically suspect. They also mandated that the slot machines be purchased from Pennsylvania distributorships, which creates another potential ethical pitfall, as distributors make campaign contributions. (By John R. Thompson, a city planner who lives in Upper Dublin.)
10 to watch
When Peter Carlino took Penn National public in 1994, it reported $46 million in revenue. Last year, revenue reached $1 billion.
Close-up 2004: Slots are key to 'new Pennsylvania'
Gov. Ed Rendell said the "historic and much-needed relief'' that the gambling-related revenue will bring "will allow homeowners to save more of their hard-earned dollars.''
Erie racetrack gets go-ahead
The state Supreme Court has removed the last legal obstacle to construction of a new thoroughbred racetrack in Erie, a $100 million project that eventually will include a slot machine casino along Interstate 90.
Casino in the Poconos?
A Scranton businessman with close ties to a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board member has purchased a once-famous 600-room resort in the Poconos for $25.1 million, fueling speculation he may seek a slot-machine casino license.
State's lottery game also making headlines
The Pennsylvania Lottery and the multi-state Powerball game continued to be popular. One big Powerball winner, whose name is still unknown, is holding a $171.4 million ticket, which was sold at a market in New Castle in December.
Bet on it! Schools offer casino lessons
Although it will be some time before Pennsylvanians play their first slot machines here, local colleges are gearing up to train the workers who will run the casinos authorized under a new law.
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