Presque Isle Downs and Meadows Racetrack Receives Gaming Board Approval for Casino Table Games
The Gaming Control Board of Pennsylvania approved the petitions of two casino facilities to offer casino table games on April 30th, 2010, bringing to seven the total number of casino facilities that has received this approval.
Approved by the Gaming Board on April 30th, following the conclusion of the public hearings were: Presque Isle Downs Inc., the operator of the Presque Isle Downs and Casino located in Erie County and Washington Trotting Association Inc., the operator of the Meadows Race Track and Casino located in Washington County.
In March 2010, the operators of Mohegan Sun at the Pocono Downs in Luzerne County and the Parx Casino/Philadelphia Park Racing Track in Bucks County received the approval of their casino table games petitions and earlier this April 2010; approvals were given to the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Dauphin County and Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Northampton County.
The Chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, Greg Fajt said that important progress continues to be made in acquiring casino employees and getting casinos in position to start operating casino table games this summer. The two casino facilities approved today each finishing their own hearing before the regular Pennsylvania Board meeting, a process that started earlier this year in each of the respective municipalities.
At the board hearing, officials of the two casinos explained to the Board that they would jointly collaborate to create more than 1,050 new jobs to support their casino table games expansion.
In addition, both casino officials informed the Gaming Board that it has the financial capability to pay the casino table games certification fee by June 1st, 2010 and will each allocate additional millions of dollars towards construction at the gaming facilities to accommodate the casino table games.
Senate Bill 711 (Act 1 of 2010), gives the authorization for existing casinos in Pennsylvania to offer table games through the filing of a petition with the approval of the gaming board. All nine casinos currently operating under Category One and Two casinos, along with a Category 2 casino being constructed in Philadelphia have petitioned the Gaming Board to operate casino table games, and nine hearings have taken place in the municipalities where a casino facility operates.
Each Category One and Two casino approved the Gaming Board can offer up to 250 casino table games aside from five thousand slot machines. Some of the casino table games that Presque Isle Downs and Meadows Racetrack can now offer include craps and roulette, which are only previously in Las Vegas Strip and Atlantic City casinos.
2010-08-01
By Peter McCarthy
