Pennsylvania Gaming Board to Conduct Test Runs before Casino Table Games Launch
Casino table games lovers will finally get the opportunity to play casino games in the state of Pennsylvania on July 6th, 2010 but Sands Bethlehem will have to wait until July 16th, 2010 before it can open its tables to its customers.
A schedule released by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on June 10th, 2010 permits casino table games to begin first at three casinos in western Pennsylvania, but Gaming Control Board observers would not be able to go eastern Pennsylvania until July 16th, 2010.
Sands officials said that they are not upset that some casino facilities will have a ten-day start ahead of them. Sands Bethlehem spokesperson Ron Reese said that they respect the decision of the Gaming Board and they cannot wait to get the games going.
Under the schedule of the gaming board, the first casino facilities to offer casino table games like craps on July 6th, 2010 will be the Meadows Casino, which is outside of Pittsburgh, the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and the Presque Isle in Erie. The Mount Airy Casino in Paradise Township, Hollywood Casino, which is located outside of Harrisburg and the Mohegan Sun near Wilkes-Barre, will be next on July 11th, 2010.
Aside from Sands Bethlehem, the Parx Casino in Bensalem and Harrah's Casino in Chester will also open on July 16th, 2010. The Mohegan Sun was the first gaming facility to file its casino table games application and President Robert Soper had hoped that it would mean that they would be the first one to roll-out the games but said that he is just happy that they finally have a date.
Under the Gaming Control Board plan, three teams of observers will run the test days, in which each facility is permitted to have eight hours of casino table games action with wagers limited at five dollars. If the casinos pass the test, they will open two days later-Sands Bethlehem on July 18th, 2010 and Mount Airy on July 13th, 2010.
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spokesperson Doug Harbach said that in the dry-runs, it is not about making profit but making sure the games are running well and the casino employees that are running them are doing their job correctly. He said that is the reason why there is a wagering limit.
While Sands officials may not have some complaints on the schedule, Mount Airy Chief Executive Officer George Toth said that he liked the idea of having a five-day starting allowance over Sands Bethlehem.
Pennsylvania officials approved casino table games in January 2010 to help the state compete with neighboring states that features different gambling offerings. The table games are expected to increase gaming revenues by 25%. Sands Bethlehem is spending twenty-six million dollars for add casino games like craps and roulette as well banked card games like blackjack.
Peter McCarthy
2010-07-14
