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2006 Gambling Headlines Archive
Foxwoods, SugarHouse could open in '08 on the Waterfront
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
Two casinos will rise on Philadelphia's waterfront. A mothballed steel plant in Bethlehem will be reborn as a gambling destination. A faded Poconos resort will reopen, and a Pittsburgh neighborhood will see new life. All that could happen in the next two years if yesterday's decisions by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board survive a potentially nasty appeals process. On the most anticipated day since the state Legislature authorized slots gambling in July 2004, the board handed out licenses for five stand-alone slots parlors: SugarHouse Casino and Foxwoods Casino in Philadelphia, Sands Bethworks Gaming in Bethlehem, Mount Airy Lodge in Monroe County, and the Majestic Star Casino in Pittsburgh.
Despite licensing, slots debate far from over
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006
If anyone thinks today's licensing of five stand-alone slots parlors means the arguments and debates are over, they are almost certainly mistaken.
No A.C. ties for winners in slots race
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
The winners in Philadelphia's gambling license sweepstakes yesterday shared two common factors: The operators who took home the two city licenses — SugarHouse Gaming and Foxwoods Development Corp. L.L.C. — proposed the most expensive projects and owned no competing properties in Atlantic City.
Bethlehem wins casino
The Morning Call, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board unanimously approved licenses for five casino projects Wednesday in a decision that's expected to alter the economy, character and basic needs of some of the state's most popular tourist spots, including Bethlehem and the Poconos. The board's history-making votes authorize Sands BethWorks Gaming to build a casino on Bethlehem Steel's rusting brownfields and Mount Airy Resort to construct a facility in Paradise Township, Monroe County, despite questions about whether its owner, Louis DeNaples, has or had ties to a reputed mobster.
THE DECISION: Bethlehem, Poconos hit jackpots at gaming board
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board unanimously approved licenses for standalone casinos in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Bethlehem and Paradise Twp. in Monroe County. Without explanation, the board nixed a proposal to build a casino in Adams County. The board also approved permanent licenses for six racetrack-based casinos, including at Penn National Race Course in East Hanover Twp.
Mount Airy hits jackpot
The Pocono Record, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
Louis DeNaples did not stick around to savor his victory. The state Gaming Control Board granted a slots license to DeNaples — the Dunmore businessman who owns Mount Airy Lodge in Paradise Township — at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Minutes later the gaming board meeting was over, and DeNaples was out the door
and on his way home, according to his spokesman, Kevin Feeley.
Gettysburg Casino Bid Fails
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
There will be no casino with a Gettysburg address. For those repulsed by the idea of gambling near the site of America's bloodiest battlefield, yesterday's decision by the state Gaming Control Board renewed their faith in the nation's soul. No other license requests generated as much controversy as the planned Crossroads Gaming Resort & Spa in Straban Twp., east of Gettysburg. In addition to local opposition, more than 100 Civil War historians signed a petition asking the gaming board to deny a license to a Gettysburg-area casino.
In Gettysburg, 'power of people' wins in denial of casino
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board denied a casino license to a group of investors who had planned to build a hotel, health spa and gambling complex a mile and a half from the center of Gettysburg.
Barden promises 'first-class' casino for North Shore
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
Don Barden got the birthday gift of a lifetime yesterday, beating out two larger and better known competitors for the Pittsburgh casino on a historic day in Pennsylvania when slot machine licenses were approved for five companies and finalized for six racetracks. Barden broke down in tears when his company, PITG Gaming LLC, with a casino to be built on the North Shore next to Carnegie Science Center, was awarded the city's lone slots license. Barden's Majestic Star Casino will be the only slots parlor in Pennsylvania owned by an African American.
Lemieux: Penguins will consider moving out of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
Penguins majority owner Mario Lemieux today said the team is no longer for sale and will explore relocating to another city while trying to negotiate a deal for a new arena in Pittsburgh.
Owner Says Penguins to Study Relocation
The Morning Call, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
The Pittsburgh Penguins are off the market, and owner Mario Lemieux says the team will look at relocating while it attempts to reach a deal for a new arena. "It is time to take control of our own destiny," Hall of Famer Lemieux said in a statement issued by his team Thursday. The Penguins are free to move when the 2006-07 season ends following a state panel's rejection Wednesday of a casino company's offer to build the team a new arena for free.
Pens weigh options
The Patriot-News (Associated Press), Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
The Pittsburgh Penguins gambled on getting a new arena for free from a slots-machine casino firm and failed, leaving owner Mario Lemieux with the difficult decision he never wanted to make.
Pa. casino board makes day momentous all over state
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
Gaming regulators gave the boot to The Donald in Philadelphia and rejected a controversial plan for a slots parlor in Gettysburg when it handed out licenses for five stand-alone casinos in Pennsylvania. Board members would not discuss their votes yesterday, but are expected to
explain their decisions in written opinions in the next few weeks. Losing applicants have 30 days from then to file their appeals, which will go directly to the state Supreme Court.
Slots Licenses Timeline
The Morning Call, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
Wednesday's votes by Pennsylvania's Gaming Control Board to award the slots licenses were years in the making. A timeline:
January 2003: Gov. Ed Rendell calls for legalizing slots gambling at Pennsylvania racetracks to bring in state revenue. Initial attempts at legislation failed.
July 2004: Legislature approves bill allowing up to 61,000 slot machines, enough to provide for $1 billion in school property tax cuts . . . .
Editorial | Best bets for a big gamble
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006
One way or another, several Philadelphia communities will never be quite the same after Pennsylvania gambling regulators license the two slot-machine casinos slated for the city.
City casino showdown under way
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006
Forest City Enterprises unveiled big changes yesterday in its casino plan for Station Square, proposing a new hotel and a temporary slots parlor, but couldn't escape concerns about revenue forecasts and potential traffic problems. Those developments came during a long day when Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board members also pressed Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. on its $290 million pledge for a new arena and whether an alternative plan would keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The third bidder, PITG Gaming LLC, will appear today.
Hill clergy lead effort to rebuff slots casino in Hill
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006
As the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board began hearings yesterday on the Pittsburgh slots license, a coalition of ministers and community supporters gathered at Freedom Corner to voice opposition to a casino in the Hill District.
Detroit's Don Barden makes Pittsburgh gambling pitch
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006
Pennsylvania gambling regulators are hearing testimony from a Detroit casino operator and two other bidders for a slot-machine casino license in Pittsburgh, just one month before it could be awarded. Testimony was scheduled Tuesday for Detroit-based casino operator Don H. Barden. His proposal calls for a $460 million slots parlor near Pittsburgh's sports stadiums and a $350 million redevelopment of the city's Hill District.
City slots casino bidders get final say before state panel
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Nov. 20, 2006
The three bidders for a Pittsburgh casino have one last chance to make a good impression, and the stakes couldn't be higher. The licensing hearings being held by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today and tomorrow in Harrisburg are the final leg of a marathon that began almost a year ago when Forest City Enterprises, Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., and PITG Gaming LLC filed applications to win the coveted Pittsburgh slot-machine casino. All three have prepared $1 billion casino and redevelopment plans and spent millions trying to win public and political support.
Celebrities descend on Harrisburg to stump for slots
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006
Sylvester Stallone winked and brought his fist to his chest as if to say, ''I know you'll do the right thing.'' Who could say no to that? Stallone, famous for his movie role as hard-luck Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa, only spoke in a recorded video message, but nevertheless was part of a parade of celebrities and gambling executives who asked Pennsylvania state regulators last week for a casino license in Rocky's hometown. One message from the casino hopefuls was that big names will be a free advertisement to draw gamblers to their establishments to spend money that will eventually become tax revenue for Pennsylvania.
Slots Casinos in Pennsylvania
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs opened to the public on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Profits from Pennsylvania's new casinos -- 13 more will be built, including one at Penn National Race Course near Harrisburg -- will fund property tax cuts, state officials said. But for some of the thousands of players who crowded into the Plains Twp. casino yesterday, about 100 miles northeast of Harrisburg, the biggest thrill was gambling close to home instead of driving for hours to casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., or Charles Town, W.Va.
Lehigh Valley Tropicana, Teamsters strike deal
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006
As promised, the company backing the Lehigh Valley Tropicana slots resort in Allentown has reached an agreement allowing its potential employees to be unionized.
Editorial: It's fitting that initial profits from this expansion of gambling will be treating compulsive gamblers
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006
Anew era begins in Penn sylvania today at 10 a.m. when The Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs near Wilkes-Barre opens its nearly 1,100 slot machines to public play.
Gung-ho gamers rush into Pennsylvania’s first slots parlor
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006
Pennsylvania's first slots parlor opened its doors today to a shower of confetti and rain. When the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs near Wilkes-Barre flung open its doors this morning, about 2,000 eager gamblers rushed in.
Atlantic City losing more of its quirky past
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Associated Press), Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006
But big changes are under way in the city whose streets gave the "Monopoly" board spaces their names. The Miss America pageant and the fabulous old boardwalk hotels are already gone. Now, the list of vanishing Atlantic City icons includes the Steel Pier, where visitors were entertained by top-name singers and movie stars, and a historic airfield that gave the world the term "airport." Since the casinos opened three decades ago, Atlantic City has evolved from a family resort where the salt air was touted as a cure-all, to a 24-hour adult playpen where the motto is "Always Turned On."
Maine's first slot machine parlor marks first anniversary
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Monday, Nov. 6, 2006
In its initial year of operation, Maine's first slot machine parlor had more than 860,000 visits by gamblers who placed more than half a billion dollars in wagers. Hollywood Slots at Bangor, which marked its first anniversary on Saturday, has drawn more customers and generated more revenues than expected. The state and the city of Bangor have received more than $17 million as their cuts from the operation. Hollywood Slots, owned by Wyomissing, Pa.-based Penn National Gaming, is a temporary operation with 475 slot machines.
Philly group sues to stop state from awarding slots licenses
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Associated Press), Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006
A dozen Philadelphia civic groups, businesses and residents have asked Pennsylvania's highest court to halt the award of five slot-machine gambling licenses that are up for grabs around the state. The plaintiffs argued that the law did not give enough guidance to state gambling regulators on how to gauge the social impact that gambling would have on communities surrounding slots parlors.
Slots suit calls for local input
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006
The campaign to halt the arrival of slots parlors in Philadelphia moved to the courts as a group of local residents, civic organizations and businesses asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to overturn the state's 2004 gambling law. A complaint filed yesterday argues that the state legislature illegally delegated to the Gaming Control Board its power to license casinos without giving the board standards to weigh the effect on communities.
Ohio voters could create competition for Pa. slots
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Nov. 06, 2006
Ohio's voters will get a chance tomorrow to decide something Pennsylvanians never had a direct say in: Should slot machines be legalized? Two years after Pennsylvania lawmakers approved slots at 14 locations, the first of them to open next week at Pocono Downs near Wilkes-Barre, Ohio residents will consider a constitutional amendment to join the game.
Penna. relying on tips to enforce donations ban
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Monday, Nov. 6, 2006
Because it doesn't have the manpower for the job, the state Attorney General's Office is not checking campaign finance reports for political donations — banned under state law — from people associated with the gambling industry. Instead, the office — the agency primarily responsible for enforcing the nation's broadest ban on such contributions — plans to rely on news media reports, public complaints, and other sources for tips, spokesman Kevin Harley said.
PITG protests traffic woes claim made by slots panel
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Nov. 06, 2006
One of the three bidders for the Pittsburgh casino plans to challenge a local task force's conclusions about possible traffic woes at its North Shore location during a hearing before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. PITG Gaming LLC has filed notice that it intends to dispute the traffic concerns raised by the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force in an Oct. 19 letter to the gaming control board, which will award the license of the city slot machine casino.
First money from slots reaches Harrisburg
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006
The first money from the state's nascent slot-machine industry rolled in to a state bank account Friday, state officials said. The Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun racetrack paid the $50 million fee for the slot-machine gambling license it was awarded, less than two weeks before it is expected to be the first slots parlor open for business in Pennsylvania, officials said.
Ed's senior moment to forget
The Patriot-News, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006
Somewhat less smart is the Really Honorable Ed Rendell, governor of Pennsylvania, who needlessly trotted out his condescending view of old people and their unhappy lives for the Lancaster New Era's editorial board. Ed's fix? Casinos, of course. They are Pennsylvania's only real plan for the future, a haven for the gullible. "They're happy. They have fun," he said. "They see the bright lights. They hear music. They pull that slot machine, and with each pull they think they have a chance to win. It's unbelievable what brightness and cheer it brings to older Pennsylvanians. Unbelievable."
City keeps control over casinos
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006
The two gambling halls destined for Philadelphia will not be exempted from either local zoning rules or the city's smoking ban under legislation expected to be signed by Gov. Rendell this week. The Pennsylvania Senate, after more than a year of debate, on Friday approved the 124-page House gambling-reform bill. The bill not only allows local controls to remain in effect, it offers a number of fixes to the 2004 law that authorized up to 61,000 slot machines at 14 sites in Pennsylvania.
Pa. Senate corrects lobbying, slots bills
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006
The state Senate met on an unusual day, at an unusual time and voted with unusual speed yesterday, as it unanimously approved some significant changes to the state's slot machine law and put new registration and reporting requirements on state government lobbyists. The Senate, stung by criticism of what leaders said were clerical errors in the two bills during a session late Monday and early Tuesday, took only 90 minutes at a rare Friday session to give final approval to the two measures and send them to Gov. Ed Rendell to sign. He's expected to do so next week.
GOP criticizes Rendell over 'gray' remarks
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Oct. 27, 2006
Former Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey led a display of orchestrated outrage as he demanded that Gov. Ed Rendell apologize for remarks suggesting that many senior citizens led "gray" lives that could be enhanced by trips to slots parlors.
Pa. to use lists to aid compulsive gamblers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Oct. 30, 2006
Pennsylvania will become the latest legalized-casino state to adopt a "self-exclusion" program. It encourages admitted problem gamblers to volunteer to be denied access to the casino floor, to be denied winnings if they sneak in, and to be thrown out — and possibly arrested for trespassing — if they're caught.
Sixth racetrack/casino license granted
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006
The state Gaming Control Board issued its sixth racetrack/casino license, this one going to Presque Isle Downs, a new track and slots casino being built along Interstate 90 just south of Erie. Five racetrack/casino licenses have already been issued by the board. The Erie slots casino is expected to open in February, said Ted Arneault, head of MTR Gaming Inc.
Senate to fix slots bill errors
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006
The state Senate will hold a rare Friday session tomorrow to correct drafting errors in major bills on slot machine gambling and lobbyists, but legislative critics say the real culprit for the slipups is the late-night, closed-door procedure often used by the General Assembly as it rushes to leave town.
Rendell slots remarks stir seniors, GOP
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006
Just two weeks before the election, Gov. Ed Rendell, holding a double-digit lead in his re-election race, managed to offend one of the state's most powerful voting blocs.
Townships get time to fight for slots money input
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006
Officials from East Hanover, West Hanover and South Hanover townships won more time to fight for a vote on how Dauphin County spends its share of anticipated slots money.
'Errors' delay slots, lobbyist bills
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006
"Drafting errors" by the state Senate have derailed, at least temporarily, two important bills — one aimed at improving the 2004 slots law and another that would regulate lobbyists.
Pa. House approves slots bill
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006
The state House of Representatives prolonged its squabble with the Senate over a bill intended to strengthen regulation and enforcement of Pennsylvania's slot-machine industry, approving changes and sending it back to the Senate.
Pa. Senate approves changes to slot machines law
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006
The state Senate voted 50-0 this morning to approve a package of 30 amendments to the slots law of 2004. The measure now moves to the state House, which is expected to act on the amendments later today. If the House approves, the amendments, called Senate Bill 862, go to Gov. Ed Rendell for his signature. The Senate amendments restore local zoning control over casinos to city officials in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Last week legislators had pre-empted such local zoning power, giving it to the state Gaming Control Board. But after angry reactions from both cities, the Senate changed its mind.
Senate passes slots reform bill; House expected to vote today
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006
The state Senate early this morning approved a slots reform bill that would allow Gaming Control Board members with ties to a slots license applicant to vote on the applicant's competitors. Despite earlier protests by some lawmakers that voting against a competitor could be no different than voting for a friend, Senate lawmakers passed the bill shortly before 12:30 a.m.
Unions lining up to represent casino workers
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006
Gamblers are not the only ones hoping to cash in at a Pittsburgh casino. Labor unions expect to organize thousands of dues-paying casino workers as members. UNITE HERE, the United Steelworkers union, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and the Service Employees International Union are labor groups active in the region and involved in the highly unionized gaming and related industries, officials said.
Three gambling task force members resign
Pittsburgh Tribune Review (Associated Press), Friday, Oct. 20, 2006
Three members of the city's gambling task force resigned over the group's statement that a casino plan that promises a new arena for the Penguins is the strongest it has evaluated so far.
House amends Senate's version of slots law bill
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006
The state House of Representatives on Tuesday night approved its own broad changes to Pennsylvania's two-year-old slot-machine gambling law and rejected parts of a Senate proposal. Both chambers agreed on a provision that would exempt gambling halls from local ordinances banning indoor smoking and another that would delete language allowing public officials to directly own up to 1 percent of a gambling interest.
State House passes changes to Pa. slots law
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006
The state House last night overwhelmingly approved more than 40 changes, many of them significant, to the law that will create 14 slots casinos in Pennsylvania. The vote after more than two hours of heated debate was 161 to 30. The bill now goes to the Senate, which may act today.
Seven Springs resort drops its bid for casino
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006
Seven Springs Mountain Resort has dropped its bid to build a small slot machine casino at its facility in Somerset County. The 2004 law that legalizes slots gambling in Pennsylvania permits up to two "resort casinos," mini-parlors allowed to operate up to 500 slot machines. Because only two resorts had applied — Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Fayette County is the other — the only hurdle for Seven Springs was its own license application. But that hurdle couldn't be cleared.
A big loser's bright idea is a long shot
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006
You get a statement from your credit card company, your bank, your mortgage company. Now, a reformed gambling addict thinks you should get a statement from your casino. Bill Kearney, a Northeast Philadelphia native who lost it all in the casinos two decades ago, is trying to convince state lawmakers that a monthly list of losses mailed to gamblers' homes could be the psychological obstacle preventing financial ruin for problem gamblers.
High rollers enjoy the high life at casinos
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Associated Press), Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006
Most patrons will never be ushered to ringside seats or have extravagant dinners laid before them in opulent suites. Such luxuries are reserved for high rollers, the gamblers who represent as much as 50 percent of a casino's revenue and are treated accordingly.
Time is running short for any new legislation
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Monday, Oct. 16, 2006
With just a few remaining legislative voting days scheduled this fall, opportunities are dwindling for state lawmakers to resolve differences on top priorities, including new lobbyist disclosure rules and cleaning up the state's slot-machine gambling law.
Bethlehem to vote on updating blueprint for future
The Morning Call, Monday, Oct. 16, 2006
Bethlehem City Council will consider allocating money to update the city's comprehensive plan — the long-term vision for how the city will grow. The plan will guide an overhaul of the city's 36-year-old zoning laws.
A culinary gamble
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006
Atlantic City , so long the hopeful and homely bridesmaid, is finally getting its chance at the altar of casino restaurant glitz. But will the celebrity chefs now doting on the Borgata (and quite soon the new Pier at Caesar's) actually give this town the high-wattage glow of dining glamour it has coveted? Or will they simply leave it feeling like sloppy Vegas seconds?
Editorial: State House must finish slots-law update: If it fails, revenue sharingn still makes sense
The Morning Call, Friday, Oct. 13, 2006
The Pennsylvania General Assembly will return next week to wrap up business before recessing for the Nov. 7 election. One measure awaiting final action is a bill to reform the law that legalized slots casinos.
Pa. gaming board revises schedule for slots hearings
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Oct. 13, 2006
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has revised its schedule for licensing slot-machine gambling parlors. Last month, it awarded conditional licenses to five racetracks. There are 16 applicants for the remaining licenses. Hearings and oral arguments are open to the public, but members of the public are not permitted to address the board. The events will be held at the State Museum in Harrisburg.
Wilkes-Barre area racetrack set to open slots parlor on Nov. 14
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006
Pennsylvania's foray into legalized casino gambling will mark an important milestone on Nov. 14, when the first of as many as 61,000 slot machines statewide are scheduled to begin whirring and ka-chinging at a horse racetrack outside Wilkes-Barre. The Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, one of five racetracks to be awarded casino licenses by state gambling regulators last month, announced Monday it will be first out of the gate to open a slots parlor.
Comentary: Too much glitter for "The Steel"
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, Oct. 9, 2006
For a few years, the abandoned acres surrounding the Bethlehem Steel plant in Bethlehem, just an hour north of Philadelphia, were the stuff of coffee-table nostalgia and regional despair. Today, a consortium of developers led by casino giant Las Vegas Sands plans to turn the former plant and 124 acres into a theme-park mix of stores, apartments, and a casino hotel. There are Disneyesque touches in the works, including a climbing wall, laser light show, and boat rides.
A tax salve for slots suppliers
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2006
If Pa. distributors become optional, a bill would reimburse their costs.
Playboy bets on casino club to reshape empire
The Patriot-News (Los Angeles Times), Sunday, Oct. 8, 2006
LAS VEGAS — The Playboy bunnies, once scorned as sexist relics of the swinging 1960s, are back. At one of this town's most popular casinos, a new generation of leggy ladies spilled across the opulent gaming room at the new Playboy Club at the Palms Casino and Resort.
Column: Casinos get a smokin' new mission
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Oct. 2, 2006
Fairer taxes, professional hockey, and the freedom to smoke — that's a lot of civic virtue to balance on the back of one lonely vice. I don't see how gambling can do it all.
Editorial:
Healthy bet / Forget the casinos — pass the county smoking ban
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006
On Monday, Philadelphia began enforcing 2-week-old legislation barring smoking in city workplaces — including casinos. On Tuesday, Allegheny County Council approved a similar ban. On Wednesday, the state Senate voted to override the provisions in the Philadelphia and Allegheny County measures that barred smoking in slots parlors. The measure was slipped into an otherwise good bill intended to repair flaws in the state's casino law.
Slots picks could be limited
The Patriot-News, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006
When Pennsylvania's slots casinos start opening this year, gamblers might have trouble finding seats in front of some of the industry's most popular machines. That's because the General Assembly could limit the number of slot machines a casino can buy from one company.
State Revenue official: Slots will pay off
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, Sept. 29, 2006
Pennsylvania's slot machines will bring in more — not less — than $1 billion a year for property tax relief, a state Revenue Department official said. That contradicts the findings of a secret study commissioned by the state Gaming Control Board, which predicts casinos at six tracks will make $365 million a year less than applicants projected.
Opinion: Monthly gambling statements are needed slots reform
The Morning Call, Friday, Sept. 29, 2006
We still have no safeguards or in our gaming bill, though there is talk about revisiting the matter later. Sen. Jane Orie, R-Allegheny, may think her colleagues restored public confidence in the gaming bill, but the amendments they passed this week will have no bearing on the ability of casinos to destroy individuals and families.
Penna. issues 5 slots licenses
Philadelphia Inquirer, , Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006
Pennsylvania gaming regulators awarded the first slots licenses as government and industry analysts said disparities in gambling-revenue projections would not undermine property-tax relief. The five racetrack casinos licensed yesterday, including sites in Bucks and Delaware Counties, were authorized by the 2004 law that Gov. Rendell and legislators promised would eventually generate about $1 billion for property- and wage-tax cuts.
Slots may be spinning in weeks
The Morning Call, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006
Pocono Downs could open as early as November, making it the first slots parlor in the state. Philadelphia Park and Chester Downs, which have said they could open in December and January respectively, are considered the other top contenders for opening Pennsylvania's first casino.
Five racetrack slot licenses approved
Philadelphia Inquirer, , Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006
The start of slot-machine gambling in Pennsylvania, delayed by two years of lawsuits and political infighting, finally made it out of the gate as the state's Gaming Control Board awarded slots licenses to five racetracks. Philadelphia Park in Bensalem and Harrah's Chester in the city of Chester were among the five tracks licensed today. Both are expected to begin running slot machines by January.
Pa. licenses racetracks as first casinos
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board took the historic step of licensing the first gambling casinos in the state when it approved slots permits for five racetracks, including The Meadows in Washington County. The decision means some slot machines will likely be operating by year's end.
It's official, racetrack wins slots approval
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006
Penn National Gaming Inc. won a license for a slots parlor, ending a 10-year quest to bring a casino to its racetrack in East Hanover Twp. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's vote gets Penn National over the last hurdle to construction of a $260 million racetrack casino. The planned Hollywood Casino, which will have a movie theme, should be open by 2008. The board awarded its first slots licenses to five racetracks.
Casino race begins
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006
Backers of Western Pennsylvania's first temporary casino said they will start construction today, even as gambling opponents vowed to continue their fight against legalized slots. Trucks will start moving dirt to prepare for the May opening of a temporary casino at The Meadows harness racing track in Washington County.
Downs closer to license
Erie Times-News, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006
Presque Isle Downs has a horse racing license. The company's track and casino is rapidly taking shape in Summit Township. The company is reviewing 2,500 applications for 750 jobs. But on a day when the state made history with the first votes on awarding slot-machine licenses, Presque Isle Downs was left at the starting gate. Gaming regulators could vote on the company's license as early as Oct. 25.
Slots bill could turn tables on Mt. Airy, Pocono Manor owners
Pocono Record, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006
The Senate faces a vote on a gambling reform bill that has the potential to change some ground rules for the two slots license applicants from the Poconos.
State control over casino siting is approved
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006
Pennsylvania's gambling halls would no longer have to buy slot machines through middleman distributors, and Philadelphia would lose its zoning authority under legislation headed to the full State Senate. The bill approved unanimously by a State Senate committee after months of closed-door negotiations may also allow slots casinos to avoid complying with local ordinances banning indoor smoking.
Racetracks enter home stretch for slots
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006
The state Gaming Control Board is expected to issue temporary casino licenses today to Penn National and several other horse racetracks, putting the 27-month process of starting slot machine play into the home stretch. Meanwhile, the Legislature appears poised to drop efforts to block a Gettysburg-area casino by law.
Backing for Isle of Capri Casinos plan
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006
Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.s proposed $1 billion development plan for the lower Hill District has won the approval of the city Planning Commission.
Casino smoking gets panel approval
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006
Smokers would be allowed to puff away when they're gambling at slot machines in Pennsylvania casinos, under an amendment adopted by the Senate Rules Committee. The net effect, said Gary Tuma, an aide to Sen. Vincent Fumo, D-Philadephia, is that counties, cities and other local municipalities would not be allowed to ban smoking at a casino in their locality. That power will be reserved for the state Gaming Control Board.
Last gasp: Allegheny County bans most workplace smoking
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006
Smoking in bars, restaurants and pubs has been snuffed out in Allegheny County. County Council voted 14-1 to ban all workplace smoking. The bill heads to County Chief Executive Dan Onorato for his signature. Onorato has one week to sign the bill or veto it. The Pennsylvania Restaurant Association, a lobbying group long opposed to outright bans, recently changed its position and supports a statewide ban.
It's no mirage: Vegas' Wynn again drawn to Atlantic City
Star-Ledger (N.J.), Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006
Steve Wynn, the man who was anointed king of the casino industry after he remade Las Vegas in the 1990s, wants to roll the dice on Atlantic City — again. Wynn had a private audience Friday with Gov. Jon Corzine and state Sen. William Gormley. Wynn, the man who was anointed king of the casino industry after he remade Las Vegas in the 1990s, wants to roll the dice on Atlantic City — again.
Editorial | Slots Parlors in Phila.
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006
For the second time, senators are poised to snatch City Hall's zoning and planning powers pertaining to the two slots parlors slated for here. House members voted to approve it earlier. Of course, it's not legally larceny if a city's home-rule rights are stripped by the General Assembly, and then signed into law by Gov. Rendell. But that doesn't make it right.
Bally has a winning system at racinos
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, Sept. 25, 2006
When it comes to supplying the state's racetracks with casino-management systems, Las Vegas-based Bally Technologies Inc. is emerging as the vendor of choice. The company is expected to announce an agreement with Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre to provide the system that will run the racino's gambling floor, expected to open next month. So far, Bally has been picked to provide casino-management systems by three of the six racetracks that will be among the first places to offer slots gambling in the state. Philadelphia Park in Bensalem and Harrah's Chester Casino & Racetrack have also chosen Bally. The other three have not named their slots-technology supplier.
Pennsylvania set to license first slot parlors this week
Pocono Record (Associated Press), Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006
State gambling regulators are expected this week to give Pennsylvania's horse-racing tracks the go-ahead to plug in thousands of slot machines, the biggest step in two years toward making Pennsylvania one of the nation's busiest gambling markets. On Wednesday, the seven-member Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is scheduled to vote on whether to grant conditional slots licenses to the state's six racetrack owners, including the nation's largest casino operator, Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
Poker, blackjack to follow slots?
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006
Table games may be in Pennsylvania's future, experts say. With competition for the gambling dollar looming just across the Pennsylvania line, and a state treasury perennially thirsty for new revenue, some observers say table games look like an inevitable next step for the state's almost-open slots parlors.
Fight over slots control revived
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006
The legislature is again poised to make Philadelphia the only place in Pennsylvania where local government will not control casino development. The move, expected in the state Senate next week, comes even though City Council members warned that they might sue if the measure was approved.
One slots contender cashes in its chips
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006
Boyd Gaming Corp., one of the 22 applicants for slot-machine licenses in Pennsylvania, is giving up on its bid for a gambling hall in Montgomery County, a company spokesman said Friday. Spokesman Robert Stillwell said the Las Vegas-based Boyd, the nation's No. 3 casino operator, is withdrawing because it did not have the support of the Limerick Township Board of Supervisors.
Applicants for licenses face robust state probe
The Patriot-News, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006
If Penn National Gaming Inc. receives a conditional gaming license this week, it would mark a new beginning for the company's Penn National Race Course in Grantville. It also would be the culmination of an intense licensing investigation by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Gambling on change won't lose
The Patriot-News, Sunday, Sept.24, 2006
As we also learned last week about West Virginia, officials there are expecting their own tidal wave of sorts, which is why they might expand that state's gambling laws so they don't lose too many customers to Pennsylvania.
Casino operator deals with loss after hurricane
The Patriot-News, Sunday, Sept.24, 2006
While Penn National Gaming Inc. waits for a conditional license to operate slot machines at its Pennsylvania racetrack, it has been restoring gaming operations at its two Gulf Coast casinos damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Penguins stay with Capri's plan for arena
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006
Despite pressure from Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, the Penguins won't back the "Plan B" alternative crafted by Gov. Ed Rendell to fund a new arena. In a statement, the Penguins stood behind their commitment to Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., which has pledged $290 million toward construction of the arena if it wins the license for the city's slot machine casino.
State limits Indian rights on slots
The Morning Call, Friday, Sept. 22, 2006
American Indian-operated casinos dot the nation from Arizona to Connecticut and could be in Pennsylvania too, but only if the tribes are willing to give up some of their federal rights. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will require waivers from two tribes to make sure their status as sovereign nations in Connecticut doesn't extend into Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania waiver guarantees that contractors and patrons who sue Indian-owned casinos don't end up in tribal court, as they do in Connecticut. It also ensures the Indians can't avoid state regulations and state taxes.
County prosecutor cites slots-related crime costs
The Pocono Record, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006
A Dauphin County district attorney says the county will need more prosecutors and judges to deal with an anticipated increase in crime as a result of hosting a slots casino. Fran Chardo, the county's first assistant DA, anticipates an increase in street-level crimes like theft and prostitution in the area around Penn National, the horse racetrack off Interstate 81 in East Hanover Township that has applied for a racetrack slots license.
Bethlehem vote sets zoning area for gambling
The Morning Call, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006
A majority of council supported a proposal that lays out specific definitions of a casino, where it is allowed and details items such as parking requirements. The proposal also limits nuisance businesses — such as pawn shops, massage parlors and adult bookstores — that may try to locate near a casino. BethWorks Now's plan includes a $879 million entertainment district of museums, shops, apartments and a casino of 5,000 slot machines wrapped around a collection of restored Steel buildings.
Editorial: Yes, it's time to get slots licenses moving, but fix the flawed legislation first
The Morning Call, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006
There's unquestionably a public — and political — interest in easing property tax burdens on Pennsylvanians as soon as possible. But there's an equally unquestionable public interest in making sure the system that does that adheres to the highest ethical standards. We shouldn't be too eager for gambling revenue to cut corners on public integrity.
New shopping outlet for suburbs
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006
Construction begins on a 110-store mall in Montco. It could bring 1,000 jobs. What is not clear for Limerick is the status of a $650 million slots parlor, hotel and convention center proposed by Boyd Gaming Corp., the operator of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. Although township officials embraced the shopping center, they opposed the casino project, proposed for an adjacent cornfield.
Resort readies casino job forum
The Morning Call, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006
A Poconos resort seeking a state license to build a slots casino will hold a forum next week to talk about the types of jobs it plans to have in its 4,000-employee work force. The Pocono Manor Resort & Casino project would cost $1.4 billion and include a 750-room hotel with a 120,000-square-foot convention center, an 1,800-seat theater and a 5,000-seat arena. Plans also call for a spa, a 30,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor pool, nine restaurants, five night clubs or lounges and a fitness center.
Senate panel proposes slots law amendments; debate on bill next week
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006
The Senate Rules Committee approved Senate Bill 862, which consists of two dozen changes to Act 71 of 2004, the law that authorized 14 slots casinos in the state. Senate Majority Leader David Brightbill, R-Lebanon, characterized those changes as "noncontroversial." But he said additional changes, which almost certainly will provoke heated debate, could be added when the full Senate takes up the amendment bill next week.
Ravenstahl, Isle of Capri discuss casino bid, keeping Penguins in city
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006
Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. officials met with Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, only days after he urged the Penguins to commit to "Plan B" funding for a new arena, an alternative to the Isle's own $290 million pledge for that project. Mr. Ravenstahl said afterward that he still supports Isle of Capri's bid for the Pittsburgh slot machine casino, but added he had made it clear during the meeting that his main goal is to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh.
Mayor to ask new Pens owners to accept Plan B
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006
Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said that he may bypass the Penguins hockey club's management and take his quest to keep the team in Pittsburgh directly to its prospective buyers.
Cruise should match your interests
The Patriot-News, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006
The Cruise Line International Association recently forecast 11.7 million Americans will cruise in 2006, setting another industry record. Generally, the larger the ship, the more lavish the production shows, casino, swimming pools, health clubs and sunbathing areas. If you want a Vegas-type atmosphere with nonstop glitz, glitter, games and new gadgets (rock climbing, ice skating, boxing, surfing ... yes, surfing), then a large ship could be for you.
Meadows slots revenue guess too high, says gaming board
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Sept. 18, 2006
Five Pennsylvania racetracks preparing to open slot machine parlors went before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board last week, and the new operators of The Meadows were the only ones confronted by serious concerns. Gaming board members took such issue with slots revenue numbers provided for the harness track in Washington County that they said it could jeopardize the license sought by Las Vegas-based Millennium Gaming Inc.
Mayor ready to shift gears
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Sept. 18, 2006
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has endorsed a competing plan to build a casino in the Hill District, but has said he won't seek to reverse the position of the City Planning Department that Station Square is the best location.
Mayor pushes Penguins on Plan B
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who endorsed the Isle of Capri casino plan for arena funding earlier this year as City Council president, is now also backing the "Plan B" alternative and hopes the Penguins will, too.
Editorial: Gaming Board must release revenue study
The Morning Call, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006
Legalizing slots was approved on the promises it would generate $1 billion in revenues for school property tax relief. With the General Assembly starting to hold hearings on how to fix the slots law, and an election looming, the public deserves to know whether it was sold an inflated bill of goods.
Racetracks are slow out of the gate with slots
The Morning Call, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006
It will be months before slot machines start spinning in Pennsylvania, and for some racetracks, it will take at least a year to become racinos.
Revenues on slots are kept private
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Sept. 15, 2006
State legislators called on gambling regulators to publicly release a consultant's reports that include projections on how much revenue each proposed slot-machine gambling site in Pennsylvania could expect to raise.
Casino jobs require fees
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006
The state-imposed $60 or $350 fee covers the cost of the background check. The good news for anyone applying is that both Isle of Capri and Harrah's Entertainment, which is teaming with Forest City Enterprises on a proposed Station Square casino, are committed to covering the cost.
Study fails to impress Rendell
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, Sept. 15, 2006
Gov. Ed Rendell said he puts little faith in a secret state study predicting money from at least one Pennsylvania casino would fall short of previous projections. Still, he said the state Gaming Control Board should release the analysis it commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers on how much money might be generated at each proposed casino across the state. Lawmakers said the gambling board should release the study and be required to act more openly. Republican Lynn Swann, who is challenging Democrat Rendell in November's gubernatorial race, issued a statement saying the full report should be made public.
Legislators, gaming regulators bicker over slots revenue projections
The Morning Call, Friday, Sept. 15, 2006
State legislators called on gambling regulators to publicly release a consultant's reports that include projections on how much revenue each proposed slot-machine gambling site in Pennsylvania could expect to raise. Tad Decker, the chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the reports are confidential and a board spokesman said the agency has no plans to release them before licenses are issued.
E. Hanover casino plan nears state go-ahead
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006
Despite questions over its timetable for opening, Penn National Gaming Inc.'s bid to develop a $260 million slot machine casino at its namesake horse-racing track appeared to survive a state licensing hearing.
Gaming board: Phila. Park checks out OK
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006
Philadelphia Park racetrack, whose owners advocated the expansion of gambling in Pennsylvania for more than a decade, has cleared the extensive background investigations of the state's Gaming Control Board and should receive a license this month to bring up to 5,000 slot machines to Bensalem.
Editorial | Outcry Against Casinos
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006
The perception that citizens have been frozen out isn't helped by a tight timetable that will allow full casino applications to be open for public review only a few weeks before final hearings on licenses. Not only should applications be available sooner for review, but also the board shouldn't rush to issue every license by year-end.
City won't let temporary casino structure take root
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006
The city is taking steps to ensure that any temporary slot machine casino built in Pittsburgh to get the cash rolling in as quickly as possible doesn't become permanent. It won't allow the winner of the Pittsburgh slot machine license to open a temporary casino until construction is moving along on the permanent one.
Gap in revenue forecasts a licensing issue
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2006
A serious problem has developed in the effort to license a slots casino at The Meadows racetrack, as forecasts of gambling revenue made by the track owner differ significantly from the estimates made by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board staff. The gaming board doubts The Meadows owners' $296 million projection.
In Chester, new track opens doors
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006
If it seemed as if Harrah's Chester Casino and Racetrack wasn't quite ready for prime time, well, the Delaware Valley's newest entertainment venue isn't pretending to be anything but a work in progress. The slots area is on schedule for a January opening, pending the granting of licenses from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Casino opponents disrupt traffic
Philadelphia inquirer, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006
About 200 protesters stopped traffic on a busy, one-block stretch of Columbus Boulevard for 90 minutes, saying they want motorists to get a taste of the congestion and annoyance they will experience if the proposed Foxwoods Casino site is approved.
Leaders confer on slots reforms
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006
General Assembly leaders have begun meeting with Gov. Ed Rendell to work out a list of slots law amendments that can win passage in both chambers in the next month or so. A lot of touchy issues could come up for debate. A lot of touchy issues could come up for debate. Should casinos be banned from giving gamblers free drinks? Should smoking be banned at casinos? Should casino lobbyists and their relatives be banned from making political contributions?
Landmark's last hurrah
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, Sept. 4, 2006
This weekend marks the final Labor Day for the Steel Pier, which first opened in 1898 and in its heydey featured entertainers such as Charlie Chaplin, the Three Stooges, Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra. When the pier was at its peak, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend might see 80,000 people pack in to watch the signature Diving Horse and rider leap from 40 feet into the sea. In mid-October, the Pier, owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., will close permanently and eventually be razed for new development - most likely a mixture of high-end condominiums, restaurants and shops. See a slide show of photographs from the Steel Pier.
Sands Casino Hotel ripe for picking - by Pinnacle
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, Sept. 4, 2006
Pinnacle, which owns primarily riverboat casinos in the Midwest, is also one of five applicants for two gambling licenses to operate a $300 million to $400 million slots parlor in Philadelphia.
Indian tribes fight for exemption from federal labor law
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Monday, Sept. 4, 2006
Once steeped in poverty, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has become one of the nation's wealthiest tribes thanks to casino gambling. Now the Southern California tribe is using its riches to fund a potentially precedent-setting legal fight contending that tribes are exempt from federal labor laws because they are sovereign governments.
Jubelirer seeks slots delay
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006
The Senate's top Republican has asked the state Gaming Control Board to delay decisions on slots licenses until the Legislature agrees on changes to the 2004 slots law. Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, R-Altoona, asked Chairman Tad Decker in a letter to delay awarding four slots licenses at horse racing tracks until gambling reforms are enacted. The Senate has only four session days scheduled before Sept. 27, the day those licenses are scheduled to be approved.
Slots cough up a little house money
The Patriot-News, Friday, Sept. 1, 2006
When Michael Arendt hit a $100,000 jackpot at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, he immediately knew what he would do with the money. Arendt said he is buying his wife, Tanya, a new house.
Many on influential boards have financial interest in slots
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006
At least 20 people with financial interests in slot-machine gambling in Pennsylvania serve on the boards of public agencies or large nonprofit institutions — from universities to hospitals to the state's Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers.
Lynn Swann: Gambling with Pennsylvania's future
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Aug. 25, 2006
I am calling on the governor once again to fix the entire broken gambling bill that he signed into law. I believe the Gaming Board should not proceed with any official action, including the licensing of facilities, until a comprehensive law is enacted that will restore public confidence in the controversial system.
2 W. Pa. firms win slots supplier licenses
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Aug. 25, 2006
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has approved slot machine supplier licenses for two more companies, both from Western Pennsylvania. One is Gaming Ventures LLC of Pittsburgh, whose most prominent members are former Pittsburgh City Councilman Sala Udin, former Steelers defensive back J.T. Thomas and Gregory Spencer, chairman of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh. The other slots supplier firm is Winner Security LLC of Sharon, Mercer County, whose officials are James Winner Jr., Donna Winner and Steven Kohler.
Pa. to let ex-convict supply slots
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Friday, Aug. 25, 2006
Gambling opponents are upset that a group including a former Pittsburgh city councilman with a 36-year-old criminal record got a license to supply slot machines to casinos in the state. Former Pittsburgh Councilman Sala Udin is a principal of Gaming Ventures. Udin has a criminal record for robbery, weapons and other offenses committed from 1968 to 1970. He has applied for a state pardon, but that request will not be heard until next month.
Gaming licenses coming on Sept. 27 and Dec. 20
The Morning Call, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006
Pennsylvania's racetracks will get licenses to operate casinos next month, and stand-alone slots parlors such as those proposed for the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos will get theirs by Christmas, the state Gaming Control Board said. Potential Slots Sites.
State gaming board won't delay issuing of slots licenses
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006
State gambling regulators have rejected legislators' calls to delay issuing slot machine licenses, saying they expect to issue licenses for racetrack casinos Sept. 27 and for non-track and resort hotel casinos Dec. 20.
Schools to tackle property tax relief
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006
With the Act 72 gambling revenue initiative dead in the water, state leaders in Harrisburg have come up with a new set of hoops for school boards to jump through in what seems like an elusive search for property tax relief.
Outside investors worry foes of casino
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006
Crossroads Gaming Resort and Spa has spent a lot of time making the case that its local investor base would ensure that the planned $350 million casino just outside Gettysburg is sensitive to the area's heritage. David LeVan, a Gettysburg native and businessman, has been the front man for the project and helped assemble a group of midstate investors. But LeVan and his wife, Jennifer, own about a 9 percent stake in the project, a distant second to majority partner Morgan Stanley PA Gaming Holdings Inc.
State unveils casino investors
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006
The ownership stakes of investors in the three groups competing for Pittsburgh's lone casino license were released, and some well-known names are in the mix. Franco Harris, Bettis' parents are among those with a piece of the action.
State discloses slots investors
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006
Under pressure to disclose the players behind Pennsylvania's proposed slots casinos, state regulators released the names — and financial stakes — of hundreds of investors. Ownership breakdowns for the casino applicants were simple in some cases, such as Mount Airy # 1, Louis DeNaples' plan. He's the sole investor. But behind other projects are clusters of local and national investors.
Pa. details bidders for slots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006
Pennsylvania gambling regulators yesterday detailed the ownership structure of each entity that applied for a slots casino license, adding some familiar names to the long list of investors involved in Philadelphia projects.
Slots hearing next track event
Erie Times-News, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006
Construction workers are putting down the asphalt for the parking lot and erecting the steel for the clubhouse. Now, Presque Isle Downs is building its case for a slots license. As construction of the thoroughbred horse racing track and clubhouse continues, company officials are preparing for the next big step in the development of the $220 million complex - a slots licensing hearing Sept. 11 before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Slots parlor advocates donate to lawmakers
The Patriot-News (Associated Press), Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006
Lobbyists and lawyers hired to represent the groups vying for slot-machine parlor licenses have made more than $750,000 in political contributions this year in Pennsylvania. The contributions came during the five-month stretch in which the Legislature was considering potentially landscape-altering changes to the state's slot-machine gambling law.
Watchdogs relent, vow to release slots data
The Patriot-News (Associated Press), Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006
State gambling regulators reversed their policy and said they will release documents detailing the ownership stakes behind the potential owners of slot-machine parlors in Pennsylvania. The information is to be made public Monday on the agency's Web site and will be updated regularly to reflect changes or details the gaming board learns as it continues to review license applications, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Chairman Tad Decker said.
Planners aim to prevent 'sin city' Bethlehem to study zoning changes for area near proposed casino
The Morning Call, Thursday, Aug. 17 2006
When the Bethlehem Planning Commission gets its first look today at a sketch plan for a proposed Sands casino on the South Side, it also will consider zoning law changes that would specifically allow gambling while trying to prevent a sin city from growing up around the slots parlor.
Editorial: Right to Know
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006
There should be no dispute that the public has an absolute right to know -- to the finest detail -- the ownership of the state's slot-machine emporiums. There is nothing in the law that we see to support the notion that details of ownership are not to be disclosed.
Law keeps panel mum on slots
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2006
Want to know how big a stake each potential owner of Pennsylvania's slots parlors would own? Don't ask the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The agency knows the answer, but its officials say the two-year-old state law that legalized slot-machine gambling in Pennsylvania and established the gaming board to oversee the industry does not allow it to release the information publicly. The latest list does not mention everyone with a potential stake in a slots parlor and does not identify who set up the children's trusts that are involved in several slots applications.
Editorial: Who owns slots casinos must be clear
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006
The rationale for approving slots in the first place was to generate enough revenues to reduce school property taxes and give the state's horse racing industry a boost. But the way the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is interpreting the 2-year-old law governing the creation of this new gambling industry, you'd think it's more about protecting the interests of those who will profit from slots. With concerns about organized crime and gambling, ownership stakes should be as detailed and transparent as possible.
Taxpayers may pay for promoting slots parlors
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006
Taxpayers would pay for ads promoting Pennsylvania's slots casinos, under a proposal released this week by the state tourism office and related groups. Five percent of gross revenues from Pennsylvania casinos is designated for economic development and tourism.
Rendell backs elimination of slot machine suppliers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006
Gov. Ed Rendell says he would sign legislation to eliminate the use of slot machine suppliers if the bill contained four other major reforms to the state's 2-year-old casino gambling law. Mr. Rendell has previously supported Act 71's requirement for using the so-called middleman firms.
Gettysburg narrowly supports casino deal
The Evening Sun (Gettysburg), Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2006
The Gettysburg Borough Council approved a deal with casino investors night that guarantees at least $1 million from gaming profits would be paid to the borough annually if a proposed slots parlor is built in nearby Straban Township. Casino opponents called the deal a bribe and said financial support shouldn't be predicated on positive testimony.
Trump Faces Angry Phila. Group Over Casino Plan
Forbes.com, Friday, Aug. 11, 2006
Nicetown is a real neighborhood in Philadelphia, whose northern district was certified as blighted in September 2003. And it's the focus of a coalition struggling with developer Donald Trump.
Gaming industry balances message
The Herald Standard, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006
Mixed messages are part of a fine line the gambling industry will be walking between getting Pennsylvanians to start gambling, but doing so responsibly. State gambling regulators are requiring all seven racetracks, and an eventual total of 14 facilities, to develop plans to handle the emergence of compulsive gamblers who will likely amount to about 4 percent of all those who pull the levers.
Trump is accused of pulling a fast one
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Aug. 11, 2006
A coalition of citizen groups announced that it would actively oppose a state gaming license for the Donald Trump organization in Philadelphia, accusing Trump of "divide and conquer" tactics in talks with neighbors of the proposed TrumpStreet casino complex on the border of Nicetown and East Falls.
Casinos lost $51 million
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, Aug. 11, 2006
The New Jersey state-government shutdown that closed the city's 12 casinos for three days last month cost the industry here about $51 million in gambling revenue. Total revenue was down 4.8 percent for July, from the same month last year, according to figures released yesterday by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. But even with the industry shut down for three days, Atlantic City's gambling halls still had the second-highest gross-revenue total for a single month.
Columnist: Don't bet on early reform of slots law
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2006
The journey that Pennsylvania politicians are forcing on us taxpayers just gets curiouser and curiouser. Let's call it "Adventures in Plunder-land."
Penn National, tribe alter deal
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2006
Penn National Gaming Inc. announced that it has agreed to amend the 2004 purchase agreement that allowed the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority to purchase Pocono Downs racetrack near Wilkes-Barre.
State reveals little about casino firms
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006
State gambling regulators have made public several boxes of documents about Pennsylvania's proposed racetrack/casinos, including information about a Canadian firm that will run The Meadows harness track in Washington County.
Editorial: Slots slug-fest / Really want to fix the law? Then get bipartisan
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Monday, Aug. 7, 2006
GOP senators like Jane Orie of McCandless and Jeffrey Piccola of Dauphin County are right to push for improvements in the law like elimination of middleman distributorships, a prohibition on elected officials having any stake in casinos and greater authority on slots for the state attorney general.
In the legislature, taking aim at the lame-duck season
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press) , Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006
Pennsylvania is one of only 12 states that does not limit the length of its sessions by constitution, statute, chamber rule or some other method, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some states allow lame-duck sessions under special circumstances or emergencies, but very few have one every two years, as Pennsylvania does.
Swann to Rendell: Give a clue on slots laws
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006
Lynn Swann called on Gov. Rendell to list specific gambling laws he favors so the legislature can act on them, but Rendell's camp said the governor had done that several days ago. Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats have been blaming each other for delays in revising the law.
Swann urges Rendell to clean up slots "mess"
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006
Lynn Swann, Republican gubernatorial candidate, is urging Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell to clean up the gambling mess that he helped to create. And Mr. Swann also wants the governor to freeze the process — no more hires, no more licenses awarded, no more meetings — until the broken system is fixed. "If I inherit gambling as governor of Pennsylvania, this structure will be changed," Mr. Swann said.
Singel withdraws from firm seeking to supply slot machines
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006
Mark Singel, former lieutenant governor under Gov. Robert P. Casey, is removing his name from an application that, if approved, would allow his company to buy slot machines and resell them to Pennsylvania's casinos. Mr. Singel is the second former politician this week to drop out of the state's young gambling enterprise.
More legislators calling for changes in slots law
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006
State legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, are lining up to push for substantial changes to Act 71, the July 2004 law that authorizes 14 slots casinos in the state.
City eyes buffers around casino site
The Morning Call, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006
As a casino operator competes for a state license to bring slot machines to the old Bethlehem Steel plant, city officials are working on a proposal that will regulate the other businesses that could emerge if gambling comes to town. The casino is proposed to anchor an $879 million redevelopment on 120 acres of the old Steel plant. The first phase would feature a cinema, restaurant, shops and casino built across 56 acres near the Minsi Trail Bridge.
Minority firm wins right to distribute slot machines
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006
A minority-owned company from Lancaster County is the winner of the IGT sweepstakes, negotiating the rights to distribute for America's largest slot machine manufacturer. PAP Security Printing Inc., owned by Mike Robinson, will be the sole distributor for International Game Technologies, which builds about two-thirds of the slot machines in operation. That means Mr. Robinson, of Lititz, has secured what is presumably the most lucrative of the distributorship contracts available.
Roddey/Miles-led group abandons its slots plans
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006
New Century Entertainment, a firm created by WQED chief George Miles, businessman Jim Roddey and other investors to buy slot machines from manufacturers, then resell them to Pennsylvania casinos, is getting out of the gambling business.
Lawmaker wants casinos to send statements to losers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006
An anti-gambling legislator from Bucks County is once again trying to force slots casinos in Pennsylvania to send out monthly statements on winnings and losses to their most frequent customers. Rep. Paul Clymer, a Republican, almost succeeded in getting the monthly statement measure approved by the House last spring. It failed on a 99-99 vote as an amendment to another bill. Now he's drafted a separate piece of legislation, House Bill 1245, that would do that same thing.
Casino project ravages roadway
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006
A new gambling casino isn't close to opening at Penn National Race Track, but East Hanover Twp. officials are already seeing an impact from the project. That's because trucks carrying debris from demolition of a grandstand are damaging Fox Run Road, Supervisor Tom Donmoyer said at Monday's township meeting.
Lottery sales in Pa. hit record $3 billion
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006
Pennsylvania Lottery sales for the 2005-06 fiscal year reached a record $3.07 billion, Gov. Rendell said. Sales grew by $425 million, the largest dollar increase in the lottery's 34-year history, leaving the agency with a $400 million surplus. The state will use half that money to expand property-tax and rent-rebate programs for senior citizens, said Stephanie Weyant, a spokeswoman for the state Revenue Department. The expanded rebates will go out in 2007 to pay for the 2006 tax year.
Editorial: Kids and slots / Another reason to cut out the middleman
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, July 30, 2006
Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation that requires slot machines to be purchased from and serviced by an added layer of licensed operators. Many applicants for the state's distributor licenses also have no industry experience and are merely politically well-connected. In short, these are make-work jobs — and they're going to insiders, not pros in the field.
ANALYSIS: Slots not paying off so far in Pennsylvania, Swann says
The Morning Call, Saturday, July 29, 2006
Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann has ratcheted up his criticisms of Pennsylvania's slow-starting gaming industry. He's taken Gov. Rendell to task for the budget transfers used to keep the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board afloat, as well as what he says is Rendell's failure to deliver on slots-funded property tax relief for homeowners.
Let's not gamble on casino legality, Sands says
The Morning Call, Saturday, July 29, 2006
After hundreds of people attended emotionally charged hearings to debate gambling in Bethlehem, City Council in September decided it wouldn't make casinos illegal in south Bethlehem. So, does that mean they're legal? Maybe, but Las Vegas Sands Corp. isn't taking any chances. Sands officials formally requested a zoning change that would list gambling as a permitted use on the BethWorks Now land in south Bethlehem.
Children dropped from slots role
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, July 28, 2006
In the face of widespread criticism, a prominent state Capitol lobbyist has dropped plans to have his two minor children be part of a middleman firm that will supply slot machines to state casinos. Yesterday's sudden about-face by lobbyist Stephen R. Wojdak came as a group of anti-gaming Republican senators was announcing a campaign to amend the slots law when the Legislature reconvenes Sept. 19.
Lobbyist says his children will sell stake in slots firm
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, July 28, 2006
Influential lobbyist Stephen Wojdak's two children will no longer have a financial stake in a slot-machine distributorship, their father said yesterday. The move ends a controversy over Wojdak's making campaign donations while his children, ages 11 and 13, were part owners of a gambling company.
Casino project to start rolling
The Patriot-News, Friday, July 28, 2006
Penn National Gaming Inc. expects to start construction of the slot-machine casino at its Penn National Race Course in Grantville next week. The five-story, 365,000-square-foot casino will feature 2,000 slot machines when it opens during the first quarter of 2008 and could handle as many as 3,000 machines, Penn National said.
Penn National Gaming profit soars, but shares' price drops
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, July 28, 2006
Penn National Gaming Inc. reported a 253 percent rise in profit for the second quarter, but investors sent shares of the Wyomissing company more than 11 percent lower yesterday. Penn National is the fourth-largest publicly traded gambling company in the United States, based on last year's revenue. It owns and operates riverboats, casino resorts and racing facilities in 12 states and Canada.
Developers put Bethlehem slots casino plans on paper
The Morning Call, Friday, July 28, 2006
The $200,000 model of the slots casino proposed in Bethlehem sprawls 16 feet across the first floor of City Hall, drawing crowds who want to learn more about the $879 million vision for the old Bethlehem Steel plant. But it is a plain-paper plan of 56 acres of the vacant plant land that has some city officials excited that the Las Vegas Sands Corp. plans are on its way to becoming a reality.
Casino company closes on $200 million purchase of The Meadows racetrack
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, July 27, 2006
A Las Vegas-based company that intends to put thousands of slot machines at The Meadows by early 2007 completed its acquisition of the racetrack in Washington County yesterday, but for $25 million less than originally planned. PA Meadows LLC announced it has closed on a $200 million purchase from Magna Entertainment Corp., an Ontario-based firm that has been one of North America's largest racetrack operators.
4 slots licenses criticized
The Patriot-News, Sunday, July 23, 2006
Pennsylvania is the only casino state to require in-state suppliers. Proponents say it's a way to let small businesses enter the new gaming industry and maximize job creation. But the political pedigree of those licensed this week drew renewed criticism.
Special session on slots pushed
The Patriot-News, Sunday, July 23, 2006
Three Republican state senators have asked Gov. Ed Rendell to convene a special session on gambling, citing their concerns that the General Assembly is running out of time to make what they view as necessary changes to the state's slots law.
Can slots licensee get tax credits?
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, July 22, 2006
A state agency will review whether it is appropriate for the holder of a state casino license to be eligible for tax credits under a neighborhood improvement program.
Roddey's firm gets license to sell slot machines to casinos
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, July 21, 2006
Since arriving in Pittsburgh in the late 1970s, businessman Jim Roddey has held many titles: Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority chairman, Port Authority chairman and Allegheny County chief executive, among others. Now he's got a new one: slot machine mogul. New Century Entertainment, a firm Roddey formed with several other prominent Pittsburghers to buy slot machines from manufacturers and resell them to casinos, was approved to get a state distributor license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Station Square casino backed
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, July 21, 2006
A South Side community group has decided that the best bet for Pittsburgh's slot machine casino is right in its back yard. At a news conference yesterday, the South Side Local Development Co. threw its support behind the bid by Forest City Enterprises to build a casino at Station Square.
Slots firm held by lobbyist's children wins Pa. approval
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, July 21, 2006
In 2004, a state law was enacted that forbade anyone involved in legalized gambling from contributing to political campaigns. But lobbyist Stephen Wojdak has found a loophole, regulators decided.
State bails out Gaming Control Board
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, July 21, 2006
State Budget Secretary Michael Masch has figured out a way to keep the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board from running out of cash as early as today. Officials disclosed yesterday that the agency formed to regulate 14 casinos, which will rake in millions of dollars from slot machines, was on the verge of shutting down operations because it was nearly out of money to pay its expenses. Mr. Masch, despite complaints from some Republicans, this week transferred $10.4 million to the gaming board from two other agencies, the state Department of Revenue and the state police.
Gaming Control Board running low on chips
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Wednesday, July 19, 2006
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which oversees what is expected to be a lucrative slot-machine gambling industry in the state, is trying to conserve its dwindling supply of cash as it awaits more state money. While aides to Democratic Gov. Rendell are promising more money for the board, Republican legislators are questioning whether the methods of funding the agency are constitutional.
Slots opponents renew efforts to repeal law
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Social and religious conservatives who oppose slot machine gambling lost a big battle in July 2004, as the Legislature approved Act 71, the law authorizing 14 casinos. But instead of licking their wounds and fading away, they're back with a renewed effort to repeal the slots law.
Pocono casino starts construction with a hope and a prayer
The Morning Call, Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Although he has yet to secure a slots license from the state, DeNaples is ahead of the game as far as construction goes. Surrounded by Pocono business and tourism officials, DeNaples on Monday broke ground for the Mount Airy Resort & Casino after a Catholic priest sprinkled holy water on the ground. The project is expected to be complete by the fall of 2007.
Lawrence County developer disputes racetrack appeal
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, July 15, 2006
A Lawrence County racetrack developer is urging the state Supreme Court not to hear an appeal of a recent decision by Commonwealth Court.
Is casino applicant digging itself into a hole?
The Morning Call, Friday, July 14, 2006
Mount Airy Resort & Casino has no state license for slot machines and may never get one.No matter: Groundbreaking is on Monday, July 17.. Owner Louis A. DeNaples is betting the house — literally — that an early start on his $360 million gaming and resort complex in the Poconos will give him an edge when the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board doles out licenses in five months or so.
Sun setting at the Downs?
The Times-Leader (Wilkes-Barre),Thrusday, July 13, 2006
The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority is likely to decide in the next several weeks whether to proceed with its Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs slot machine casino project.
Wisconsin —
Wis. Supreme Court Upholds Indian Gambling
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Friday, July 14
Las Vegas-style gambling, from slot machines to craps, can continue on Indian reservations in Wisconsin under a state Supreme Court decision. The court declined to curtail the gambling allowed on land held by 11 tribes, which operate 28 casinos.
Iowa —
Casino gets early start
The Lone Tree Reporter (Iowa), Thursday, July 13, 2006
The Riverside Casino and Golf Resort will open ahead of schedule and just in time for the Labor Day holiday. The 58,000-sq.-ft. casino will have 24 black jack tables, four craps tables, two roulette tables and a poker room. In addition to gaming, it will have a show lounge on the main floor that will stage local acts and entertainment. The 204-room hotel has an indoor-outdoor pool and a spa. It also contains an event center that will present nationally and internationally acclaimed entertainment acts.
Mississippi —
Casino workers return to Miss. coast
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Thursday, July 13, 2006
The five coastal casinos that have reopened since Katrina employ around 6,000 workers. That number is expected to grow to roughly 10,000 by Sept. 1 with the return of several more casinos, all of which are struggling to find workers.
Japan —
Venetian Macao bets it can draw in Japanese business visitors
The Japan Times, Thursday, July 13, 2006
The massive Venetian Macao casino resort is set to open in 2007, and there are hopes that this mega resort, which will feature one of the biggest convention centers in Asia, will lure Japanese who are doing business in China. It is being built by Venetian Macao Ltd., a unit of U.S. casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. The company recently won a bid to build Singapore's first casino as part of an integrated resort also with a giant exhibition and convention center.
Leaders tout arena offer
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Friday, July 14, 2006
No matter who buys the Penguins, local officials believe they have an arena proposal no other city can beat. Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato released written commitments Thursday from casino bidders agreeing to help pay for the building and from Gov. Ed Rendell pledging $26.5 million to buy Uptown properties where it would be located.
All casino bidders pledge funds for arena
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, July 13, 2006
Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato announced that all three contenders for a Pittsburgh slots casino have committed in writing to contribute proceeds to a new hockey arena. Isle of Capri, which is a partner with the Penguins in a casino and arena plan, already had committed $290 million towards an arena. Onorato said two other companies that were not partners with the Penguins -- Forest City Enterprises and PITG Gaming -- have now also made commitments.
Another record revenue year for tribal casinos
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Thursday, July 13, 2006
Tribal casinos pulled in $22.6 billion in gambling revenue last year, double the take of Nevada gambling, as Indian casinos recorded another record year, the industry trade group has reported. The revenue was up 15 percent from the $19.6 billion that Indian gambling reaped in 2004, the National Indian Gaming Association said. Tribal gambling has recorded double-digit growth almost every year since Congress created the legal framework for it in 1988.
Tasty Baking land is eyed by TrumpStreet
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, July 12, 2006
In a move to enhance their chances for a gambling license, investors in Donald J. Trump's proposed Philadelphia casino announced that they have acquired an option to purchase the land where the Tasty Baking Co. corporate headquarters and distribution center now sit. The deal by Keystone Redevelopment Partners L.L.C. would add 12 acres to the proposed $350 million TrumpStreet Casino & Entertainment Complex.
Slots may eat into lottery's share of gaming pie
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Tuesday, July 11, 2006
If the experience in states such as Michigan and Illinois is any guide, the Pennsylvania Lottery will have to enlist reinforcements for "Gus the Groundhog" or roll out big, new games — or both — to keep slot machines from eating into lottery profits. In state after state, lottery revenues stagnated after the introduction of casino-style gambling.
Tax dispute may delay slots at racetracks
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The state's tax rate on slot-machine gambling in Pennsylvania is the subject of a widening dispute with three horse-racing tracks, a problem that could mean later opening dates for some casinos. The state Revenue Department recently said it planned to enforce a $10 million minimum tax on the gambling revenue that racetracks and other slots licensees will owe to their host municipality.
Tax control law may force few referendums
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Sunday, July 09, 2006
Next year, all of Pennsylvania's school boards will have to seek voters' permission to raise property taxes beyond the rate of inflation under a new law that tries to accomplish what an earlier one failed to do — cut taxes statewide with $1 billion in annual slot machine gambling revenue.
Casino action resumes after state budget passes
Philadelphia Inquirer (Associated Press), Saturday, July 8, 2006
Dice rolled, blackjack dealers returned to work and slot machine bells rang noisily to life Saturday as New Jersey's idled casinos reopened, ending a three-day hiatus prompted by a state budget deadlock.
A.C. casinos reopen
Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, July 8, 2006
At 7:30 this morning, all 12 casinos in Atlantic City opened to gamblers, ending a government-imposed shutdown. Within minutes, slot machines whirred and upbeat customers streamed onto the casino floors.
Del. and Conn. casinos cash in on shutdown
Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, July 7, 2006
Even after Atlantic City's casinos reopen, Delaware hopes to gain permanent customers. The shutdown was an opportunity for Mohegan Sun to create loyal customers out of former Atlantic City patrons.
City, county ask casino hopefuls to vow to fund new arena
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, July 6, 2006
Gov. Ed Rendell has asked the applicants for the Pittsburgh casino license to contribute $7.5 million a year for 30 years as part of his $315 million plan to build an arena. Bidder Don Barden, who wants to build a casino on the North Shore, has pledged verbally to provide the funding. Forest City Enterprises, which is seeking to build a casino at Station Square, has agreed to the plan in concept, but has not pledged a dollar amount and first wants a commitment from the Penguins to stay in Pittsburgh. The third applicant, Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., in partnership with the Penguins, has offered $290 million toward construction of an arena as part of its formal bid for the state slot machine license.
Shutdown brings area bus trips to halt
The Morning Call, Thursday, July 06, 2006
The Atlantic City casino shutdown has left thousands of Lehigh Valley residents at loose ends, biding their time until the one-armed bandits ride again. Carl R. Bieber Tourways and Trans-Bridge Lines, the Valley's chief providers of Atlantic City trips, are already feeling the pinch. About 50 Trans-Bridge buses head to Atlantic City each week.
Jolt comes at peak time for casinos
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, July 06, 2006
Coming during one of the peak months for Atlantic City's gambling business, the casino shutdown is costing the 12 casinos up to $16 million in revenue per day. And it is costing the New Jersey treasury about $1.3 million in taxes.
Midstate gamblers continue rolling to N.J. . . . for now
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, July 5, 2006
New Jersey lawmakers' failure to pass a budget by July 1 threatened to shut down casinos at 8 a.m. today. Casino equipment inspectors and games monitors are state employees whose work is considered nonessential to basic government service.
Gettysburg slots battle could heat up in fall
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Backers of a proposed Gettysburg-area casino dodged a bullet when Senate Democrats were unable to force a vote on a gambling bill containing language designed to pull the plug on their project. But more shots might be coming. The amendment to Pennsylvania's 2004 slots law pushed by Sen. Vince Fumo, D-Philadelphia, and other key Senate Democrats contained a provision adopted by the House of Representatives in March to bar licensing of any casino in Adams County. Fumo said that he will try again in the fall, so backers of the $300 million Crossroads Gaming Resort & Spa planned at Routes 15 and 30 in Straban Twp. aren't off the hook.
Residents vie for Chester casino jobs
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Chester residents flocked to a job fair last week for the slot-machine parlor and racetrack under construction on the riverfront, but its operator, Harrah's Entertainment Inc., remains guarded about how many residents it will hire. Harrah's contributed $500,000 last year to help fund a job-readiness training program in Chester.
Casinos ordered to halt gambling on Wednesday
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, July 03, 2006
In an unprecedented move, the chairwoman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission ordered all 12 casinos to cease gambling operations as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 5.
Penna. gets a budget, but still not on time
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, July 03, 2006
Gov. Rendell early yesterday signed a $26.1 billion state budget for 2006-2007 after a late-night maneuver by Senate Democrats to force a vote on a gambling bill threatened to leave Pennsylvania once again with no spending plan before the July 4 holiday.
Gaming firm's CEO tops list of executive pay
The Patriot-News, Sunday, July 2, 2006
The annual Patriot-News analysis of executive compensation is usually topped by the names of CEOs at large companies at distant headquarters. Not this year. Peter M. Carlino, chairman and CEO of Penn National Gaming Inc. in Wyomissing, leads the list as the region's most highly compensated executives in 2005.
Forum: One last chance
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, July 2, 2006
On July 4 Pennsylvania celebrates the second anniversary of its Declaration of Dependence — on gambling revenues to fund racetracks, arenas, airports, law enforcement, a brand-new and comically unproductive control board and a little bit of tax reduction.
Rendell signs new $26.1 billion state budget
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, July 2, 2006
Last-minute Senate fight nearly derailed spending plan.
Board OKs licenses for slots middlemen
The Morning Call, Thursday, June 29, 2006
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved licenses for slot machine suppliers Wednesday, enabling the agency to retain control over casino regulations and keeping slots parlors on track for opening this year. The seven-member board agreed to allow suppliers — the middlemen who buy slot machines from manufacturers and sell them to casinos — to operate anywhere in the state, ending a yearlong stalemate that had threatened to delay the opening of casinos.
Gaming board awards slot-dealing licenses
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, June 29, 2006
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board resolved a nine-month standoff on June 28 and awarded licenses to 12 slot-machine distributors, which will allow horse racetracks to get their licenses in September. At the same Harrisburg meeting, a group of Philadelphians confronted the board on its policy of prohibiting the public from speaking at its sessions.
State Senate votes to get rid of slots suppliers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The state Senate has voted to make a major change in the 2004 law that legalized slot machines, eliminating a requirement for middleman companies called slots suppliers or distributors.
Senate passes bill designed to bypass slots panel's hang-up
The Morning Call, Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The state Senate did an end-run around the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in what some described as a last-ditch effort to spur the stymied board to begin issuing licenses for slot machine suppliers. The seven-member board of political appointees remains stuck in a yearlong disagreement over how to license the middlemen between slot machine manufacturers and casinos.
Veon hopes to change Pa. slots law, reserve license for Beaver or Lawrence
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, June 28, 2006
State legislators may try to convert the seventh and final racetrack/casino license into a non-racetrack slot machine license, the second-ranking Democrat in the House said.
Rendell signs tax cut into law
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Under the newly signed law, elderly homeowners will see relief next year, while the rest of the state's homeowners will not see a change in their property-tax bills likely until 2008 or later. Philadelphia residents will receive wage-tax cuts instead of property-tax cuts.
Gov. Rendell signs tax-cutting legislation
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Gov. Ed Rendell signed a bill that is expected to provide $1 billion a year worth of tax cuts. The legislation, which lawmakers enacted this month, provides what the Rendell administration bills as the largest property-tax cut in Pennsylvania history. Overall, the law is expected to cut property taxes by around 17 percent.
State lottery could lose big to slots
The Morning Call, Sunday, June 25, 2006
Seniors who benefit from revenue would be the ones to suffer if ticket sales decrease. When people begin losing an estimated $3 billion a year in Pennsylvania slot machines, there's a good chance some of them will stop playing the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Seven Springs sale jeopardizes slots casino
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Tuesday, June 20, 2006
The sale of Seven Springs Mountain Resort to a part-owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates will create a conflict of interest that could stack the odds against a proposed gambling casino there.
Column: Gambling raises stakes for pork
The Patriot-News, Sunday, June 25, 2006
If the state's Gaming Control Board does not approve a list of potential "suppliers" to the state's potential slot-machine parlors at this week's meeting, why, the whole windfall of gambling revenue that will some day solve all our tax problems could be ... delayed. Bada bing. This supplier thing is crucial. If the casinos don't have a middleman to supply the machines, the slots would have to come from (gasp) the manufacturers. Which is how every other gambling state in the nation does it, probably because it's cheaper.
Future of Lawrence County track, slots linked
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, June 24, 2006
Bedford Downs, a proposed Lawrence County harness racetrack, is getting closer to a state racing license, but county Commissioner Dan Vogler fears the rules of the game might be changed to keep the track from adding a slots casino.
Senate to vote on abolishing casino middlemen
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Associated Press), Wednesday, June 21, 2006
The state Senate will consider legislation that would abolish a requirement that slot-machine manufacturers sell their equipment to Pennsylvania casinos only through in-state middlemen.
Atlantic City-N.Y. train to get a 3-year tryout
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, June 20, 2006
The NJ Transit board approved a three-year trial of direct train service between Atlantic City and New York's Penn Station. The 2 1/2-hour Atlantic City Express Service will run Fridays to Sundays starting late next year. NJ Transit expects about 1,100 riders per weekend.
The Monday (Tuesday) rewind
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, June 20, 2006
A plan to build a new $200 million harness racetrack in Lawrence County won a reprieve, while a competing proposal to put a racetrack along Route 60 in Beaver County has been virtually snuffed out.
The Pirates' Nutting family buying Seven Springs
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, June, 20, 2006
The Nutting media empire, part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, soon will be the sole owner of Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Pennsylvania's biggest ski resort. The Nuttings are buying the resort from the Dupre family, which has tried to sell Seven Springs, off and on, for eight years. Seven Springs is one of two applicants seeking one of two available "resort" casino licenses (to operate 500 slot machines), meaning it has no competition for a casino and would lose its bid only if something was wrong with its application.
Charles Town track would expand if table games allowed
philly.com (Associated Press), Tuesday, June 20, 2006
The owner of Charles Town Races & Slots will invest $200 million in the property if lawmakers allow West Virginia's four tracks to feature casino-style table games, a company official said. Penn National Gaming Inc. would build a 500-room hotel and a 25,000-square-foot conference center if it were allowed to expand, John Finamore, Penn National's senior vice president of regional operations, told Jefferson County commissioners.
Minority-owned casino's backers like long shots
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, June 19, 2006
The odds aren't good. With the exception of American Indians, minority groups historically have not succeeded in winning casino licenses in any of the 48 states that permit some form of gambling.
Slots in Pennsylvania no worry in Atlantic City
The Morning Call, Sunday, June 18, 2006
As Pennsylvania gets ready to add up to 61,000 slot machines from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, casinos in Atlantic City are aggressively expanding, building hotel rooms by the thousands and wrapping high-end shops, restaurants and spas around the casino floor. Trying to shed its seedy-casino-town stigma and compete with Las Vegas, Atlantic City is reinventing itself as a getaway for vacationers and conventioneers, with much more to offer than slot machines and blackjack tables.
Slots sale disputes could hold up casinos
The Morning Call (Associated Press), Sunday, June 18, 2006
A dispute over whether slot-machine distributors should be allowed to operate statewide or regionally is threatening to delay the opening of Pennsylvania's first slots parlors this fall, the state's top gambling regulator warned. The political considerations surrounding the opening of slots parlors are great, since lawmakers this week earmarked one-third of the anticipated gambling revenue for tax cuts for millions of Pennsylvania homeowners.
Would-be racetrack/casino operators fret about delays in the state's licensing process
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, June 17, 2006
If the Gaming Control Board takes another year or more to approve slot machine licenses for racetrack/casinos, The Meadows would sustain a "devastating" financial blow. That's what Meadows Vice President Mike Jeannot said in assessing the board's long-stalled efforts to legalize slots gambling at that harness track and several other racetracks in the state.
Kanjorski financial form lists jackpot win
The Patriot-News, Friday, June 16, 2006
You'd think it would be safe to count U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski among lawmakers who favor casinos. Kanjorski, D-Wilkes-Barre, has 19,500 reasons to support casinos after winning that many dollars playing blackjack at an Indian casino in New Mexico. The Democrat was visiting his daughter last Christmas when he hit the jackpot at the Pojoaque Pueblo-owned Cities of Gold Casino in Santa Fe. But Kanjorski, who estimates he gambles only a couple of times a year, is not a fan of casinos in Pennsylvania, even though it would allow him to bet closer to home.
Trump wants to build Miss. casino
Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, June 12, 2006
Donald J. Trump's casino company announced today that it had signed an agreement with a Mississippi firm to develop and operate a casino resort in Diamondhead, Miss. The joint venture between Atlantic City-based Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. and Diamondhead Casino Corp. would cover about 40 acres within a 404-acre tract owned by Mississippi Gaming Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Diamondhead.
Many documents still unreleased by state gaming board
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Associated Press), Saturday, June 10, 2006
Five months after investors, entrepreneurs and gambling companies applied for slot-machine licenses, many of the documents they filed with Pennsylvania's gambling regulatory agency have not been made public.
Editorial: Raising the stakes / The gaming task force is right to press for answers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Associated Press), Saturday, June 10, 2006
Last week the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force surveyed the city's slots-parlor prospects and held its nose.
MTR moves ahead
Erie Times-News, June 2, 2006
MTR is under a Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission deadline to open it and its clubhouse by December 2007. MTR is planning the Summit entertainment complex around slots gambling. Indeed, the company intends to open with its 1,600 slot machines in November.
Lobbying firm to push for bigger slots share
The Patriot-News, Wednesday, March 22, 2006
The lobbying group headed by former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel will become East Hanover Twp.'s voice on Capitol Hill. The township supervisors voted unanimously to hire Singel's Winter Group. The firm's assignment will be to help push through the Senate an amendment to the state gambling law that would give East Hanover a greater share of revenue from the state's slot-machine gambling. A casino is expected to be at Penn National Race Course in the township.
How They Voted (Amendment 6161)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, March 17, 2006
The state House took two votes on proposed changes to the 2004 legislation that legalized slot machines at 14 sites in Pennsylvania. Amendment 6161 would have made it optional to use of slots distributors, who would operate between the manufacturers and the casinos. The amendment was approved on the first vote, by 102 to 96. The vote later was reversed, by a vote of 111 to 89.
State gaming board worker charged in woman's fatal fall
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2006
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board employee was charged with homicide yesterday after he told police he accidentally dropped his girlfriend out a 23rd-story window over the weekend.
Editorial: A.C.'s GLITZ
The Patriot-News, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2006
Pennsylvania's gambling habitues will give their home-state slots parlors a look and see what they have to offer. But count on them grousing about the absence of free or low-cost drinks, a slot-haven ritual.The state Supreme Court, in ruling that the gaming bill was constitutional, found that gambling was OK, but not while sipping a free drink. Go figure.
Editorial: Casino Siting
The Patriot-News, Friday, Jan. 13, 2006
As the opposition to casinos in Gettysburg and elsewhere well establishes, Pennsylvanians thankfully have other values beyond the material.
Lawmaker would ban casinos at battlefields
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006
State Rep. Steve Maitland, R-Gettysburg, is sponsoring a bill to create 15-mile casino-free zones around Gettysburg and other national battlefields, historic sites and military parks in most of the state. The buffer would be reduced to two miles in Philadelphia, home of Independence Mall and the Liberty Bell, and Pittsburgh.
Gettysburg casino protest reaches state lawmakers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006
Protesters opposed to a plan to open a slot machine casino near Gettysburg came to the state Capitol, led by advocates of "heritage tourism," a Lancaster girl who takes part in Civil War re-enactments, and Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant.
18 local officials line up behind Penguins' arena-casino plan
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006
Led by state Sen. Jim Ferlo and City Council President Luke Ravenstahl, 18 city, Allegheny County and state lawmakers endorsed the Penguins' plan to build a new arena and to redevelop the lower Hill District as part of its casino bid. Funds for the project would come from gambling revenue.
Record take, looming threat
Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006
Atlantic City's 12 casinos topped the $5 billion mark in gambling revenue last year for the first time, according to figures released by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. In 2004, the industry generated revenue of $4.81 billion. Since 2002, New Jersey casinos have been spending hundreds of millions of dollars on new hotel rooms, entertainment halls, bars, restaurants and shopping in an effort to attract new visitors, especially those who stay overnight.
Slot machine sweepstakes begins in earnest
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006
The state Gaming Control Board released the names of 25 entities that will compete over the next 12 months for the casino licenses authorized by a July 2004 law. The competitors include some of the biggest players in the gambling industry: Harrah's Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Isle of Capri, MTR Gaming and the owners of two Connecticut casinos, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods.
Slots applicants named
Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006
Two former governors, two current SEPTA board members, and several unidentified "minor children" were among the names of applicants for slots parlor licenses released by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The state released a list of 595 names in connection with the 25 applications. A previously undisclosed entry for a license is Trum Construction Co., which wants to build a slots parlor in West Homestead, near Pittsburgh.
And they're off! Those in race for slots run gamut
The Morning Call, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006
Scores of investors, from high-rolling casino operators to trust-fund babies, want a controlling stake in Pennsylvania's promise of lucrative slots parlors.
Casino applicants bland
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006
Hundreds of names appear on the list of applicants for Pennsylvania's 14 casinos, which the state Gaming Control Board released. Unlike those seeking the license in the City of Brotherly Love, none bidding for Pittsburgh's lone slots parlor carries instant celebrity recognition.
Casino eyes $1M a day
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006
Pittsburgh's slots parlor could rake in more than $1 million a day by its second year, according to revenue projections by one of four companies seeking the city's casino license.
Lottery declares 1st raffle a success
The Patriot-News, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2006
Players took a $20 chance to get in the Lottery's first-ever raffle game: a one-time drawing for a declared set of prizes, with winning numbers drawn specifically from the field of tickets sold. Some $4.3 million in profits later, Lottery officials say it couldn't have been a bigger success, and it now appears only a matter of time until they do it again.
W.Va. lawmakers consider table games
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2006
The stakes for Pennsylvania casinos could rise even before the state awards slots licenses this year. In West Virginia, where people have played slots legally for a decade, some lawmakers now want to legalize table games, such as blackjack and poker, to keep gamblers coming after Pennsylvania adds up to 60,000 slot machines over the next several years.
Editorial: Added layer / State slots don't need superfluous distributors
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2006
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board continues to struggle with the irrelevant question of whether the state should be broken down into one or two regions for purposes of slot machine distribution. It's not too late for the Legislature to take that decision out of the board's hands by abolishing the supplier requirement.
Gaming board lawyer to be tried in assault
The Patriot-News, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006
A lawyer for the state gambling board accused of biting a bartender who tried to restrain him during an altercation at a high-end downtown martini bar was ordered to face trial yesterday. He was the second board attorney to be charged in a bar altercation within three months last year.
Companies oppose latest North Shore casino proposal
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, Jan. 6, 2006
Two of the North Shore's largest stakeholders say a casino in their midst, whether beside PNC Park or near the Carnegie Science Center, could jeopardize possible development or expansion efforts.
Resort owner skips slots bid
The Morning Call, Friday, Jan, 6, 2006
Jack Kalins says he was told licenses going to western part of state. G. Terry Madonna, a professor and political analyst at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, said a fatal flaw in the gaming legislation gives veto power to each of the seven political appointees with voting rights on the board. That rule produces fertile ground for back-room dealing and compromising.
More openness sought for Penn's Landing Corp.
Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006
City Councilman Jim Kenney went public with his anger over how the board that runs Penn's Landing, of which he is a member, voted in secret to approve the potential building of a waterfront casino. Now he is calling for the board to open its doors permanently and adopt the state law that allows for public scrutiny, known as the Sunshine Act.
Subsidy talk revived
Erie Times-News, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006
A proposal that would give public slots money for the development of a casino and horse racing track is back in play. Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio stopped short of endorsing a Summit Township authority's plan to ask the county for $14.4 million, which would pay for on-site and off-site infrastructure for Presque Isle Downs Inc.
Council mixed on money for MTR
Erie Times-News, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006
County Council members offered mixed reactions when learning that County Executive Mark DiVecchio may support using some gaming revenue for infrastructure costs related to Presque Isle Downs and its slots casino.
Editorial: Ohio's gamblers will benefit Erie
Erie Times-News, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006
You can bet that shortly after MTR Gaming Group Inc. opens its Summit facility, the company will declare Pennsylvania can't compete with New York and needs further expanded gambling laws. That would mean full-scale casino gambling.
Callahan outlines changes ahead
The Morning Call, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006
After being sworn in as the city's top official for the next four years, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan promised to help guide the city through ''dramatic change'' and help make Bethlehem a ''showcase for new mid-size urban America.'' Callahan said. Plans are in the works to redevelop the 1,800 acres of the old Bethlehem Steel plant into a $1 billion industrial park and $879 million entertainment complex anchored by a slots parlor.
PITG Gaming lays out plan for North Shore casino
Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006
With a sleek glass and metal design shaped to follow the contour of the Ohio River, the Majestic Star Casino would offer views of the Downtown skyline, easy access to the rivers and millions of dollars for the city and state, according to detailed plans. The casino would sit on 17 acres between the Carnegie Science Center and the West End Bridge, and include four restaurants, a sports bar and two nightclubs overlooking the river and city. A hotel could be added later between the casino and museum.
25 apply for state slots licenses, including at least 4 for Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006
A 25th applicant is in the running for one of 14 slots casino licenses expected to be awarded late this year. The Post-Gazette has confirmed that at least four applications were received for Pittsburgh, which is guaranteed one casino license.
Would-be Pa. slot machine distributors court manufacturer IGT
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006
International Game Technologies is the largest slot machine manufacturer in the United States, controlling about two-thirds of the market. Normally, IGT would sell its devices directly to the casinos. But because of Pennsylvania's peculiar requirement that slot machines pass through in-state distributors, the company or companies that win the right to supply IGT machines stand to score the largest distribution contracts, worth millions over the coming years. Slot machines cost $6,000 to $10,000 apiece.
Editorial: Wild Cards
The Patriot-News, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006
It is our view that a key consideration in the awarding of the two standalone licenses should be their potential to contribute to the economic well-being of existing communities, namely the downtown areas of two of the state's struggling medium-sized cities.
Decker: Slots for state takes time, but progress is being made
The Patriot-News, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006
The last 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.
Arduous casino licensing expected
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006
What could cause embarrassing delays is a nagging dispute between board members over how slot machines will be sold to operators. At issue is a novel requirement that allows only Pennsylvania-based distributors to sell slot machines to Pennsylvania slot parlors. That has been controversial from the start - critics have said that it may create a handout to politically connected people.
Editorial | Citizens of the Year
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006
The three men who share the Inquirer's second annual Citizen of the Year award led a popular uprising to restore accountability in state government. More than any other citizen-activists, these three orchestrated the grassroots revolt that forced state lawmakers to repeal their sleazy pay raise and toppled a Supreme Court justice. In so doing, they gave hope to those who dream of smarter, cleaner government — in Harrisburg and throughout the state. The second annual Inquirer Citizen of the Year award goes to Timothy Potts, Russell Diamond and Eugene Stilp. The three honorees say their effort in 2005 was only the beginning of a larger movement to bring integrity and transparency to the legislature.
Slots dreams under cooling towers
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006
When Boyd Gaming Corp. said last month that it wanted to build a $325 million casino at the foot of a nuclear plant in Limerick Township, Montgomery County, 35 miles from downtown Philadelphia, it struck some as downright bizarre. Yet observers say the Boyd proposal is a genuine contender for one of the two full-fledged slot-parlor licenses still up for grabs.
Senecas are building a gambling empire next door
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006
While applicants in Pennsylvania are competing for the right to get slot machines spinning within a year or two, the Seneca tribe of 7,400 is building western New York into one of the Northeast's biggest gambling centers. In addition to table games, they operate more than 6,000 slot machines in two locations, and expect to add another 2,400 machines within two years.
Indian casinos a long shot here
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006
Lacking either state support or clear land rights, Oklahoma-based Indian tribes interested in operating casinos in Pennsylvania and Ohio have been thwarted thus far. The Delaware Nation of Indians is awaiting federal appellate court review of a U.S. district court judge's December 2004 decision denying it 315 acres the tribe's ancestors lived on in Northampton County. The tribe is hoping to use the eastern Pennsylvania property as leverage to force state politicians to include them in casino development elsewhere in the state.
Indian tribe gaming gains keep growing
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006
Every year more Indian tribes are entering the gambling industry to help overcome hundreds of years of economic disadvantages suffered by Native Americans.
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