PGCB Rescinds Interim Permission To 5 Vendors To Provide Goods And Services To Casinos

Board also approves regulatory change to assure vendors do not gain interim status

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s Bureau of Licensing today notified five vendors who have an owner, officer or director with either a felony conviction or felony charge that they could no longer continue to do business with Pennsylvania casinos pending final action by the Board.

The actions were taken after the Board approved proposed rulemaking that amends current regulations followed to handle these matters. Under the new regulation, upon issuance of a Notice of Recommendation for Denial by the Office of Enforcement Counsel to a vendor applicant, a firm that had earlier received interim permission to provide vendor services upon completion of its application to the PGCB, would automatically lose such interim permission.

Facilities will still be able to request permission to use a vendor applicant to provide goods or services while the application is being reviewed. However, if investigations uncover felony convictions that may make the vendor ineligible to gain a permanent vendor license or certification, the privilege will be rescinded.

The five that received such notices today are:

• Bencardino Excavating, Inc. of Washington Crossing, PA providing services to Philadelphia Park Casino
• Art’s Landscaping & Supply of Erie, PA providing services to Presque Isle Downs
• W.G. Tomko, Inc. of Finleyville, PA providing services to The Meadows Racetrack and Casino
• Penns Landing Supply d/b/a Wyatt Incorporated of Pittsburgh, PA providing services to The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack and Mount Airy Resort Casino
• Smith Blacktopping, Inc. of Plains, PA providing services to Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

In addition to notification to these vendors, the PGCB’s Bureau of Licensing notified all affected casinos who are contracted and utilizing services from any of these vendors.

Acting Chief Counsel for the PGCB, R. Douglas Sherman, said this new regulation is designed to tighten and clarify the regulation of certified vendors and provides an additional tool at the board’s disposal in its oversight responsibilities.

“The real life experience of daily regulation has been a great teacher. When staff sees that we can do something better, we suggest it,” Sherman said. “This is one of those cases where we believe we can make some changes and make the system better by tightening the procedures relative to work being conducted by vendors.”

Thus far, the PGCB’s Bureaus of Licensing and Investigations and Enforcement have handled more than 22,000 individuals or entities that seek licensing of some type. Of those, more than 4,400 investigations alone are related to vendors seeking to gain approval to do business with a licensed slots facility.

Among other actions taken by the Board today:

• the Board revoked the gaming licenses from two employees at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs who were caught stealing from the facility, and
• approved a petition from Mount Airy Resort Casino to permit funding of capital improvement projects by Louis A. DeNaples which will permit the Trustee to continue making operational decisions on behalf of the licensee.

###