PA Gaming Control Board Executive Director Issues Emergency Suspension of Casino Owner

HARRISBURG: Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Executive Director Anne Neeb today issued an emergency suspension of the Principle License of Louis A. DeNaples, sole owner of the Mount Airy Casino Resort.

At an afternoon press conference, Neeb issued the following statement:

This afternoon, Louis A. DeNaples was charged with four counts of perjury by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office. As the owner of Mount Airy Casino Resort (Mt. Airy), Mr. DeNaples holds a principal license with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). As a result of today’s events, the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel presented me with a petition which requested the suspension of Mr. DeNaples’ license. Through the authority delegated to me by the Board, I have executed that order which is effective immediately.

While the suspension of Mr. DeNaples’ license is in affect:

All profits from slot machine gaming revenue that would otherwise be due to Mr. DeNaples must be placed in an escrow account.

Mr. DeNaples is prohibited from receiving any compensation, consideration or distribution generated by slot machines or amenities located at Mt. Airy.

Mr. DeNaples is prohibited from entering the property encompassing Mt. Airy.

And lastly, Mr. DeNaples is prohibited from exercising any control over Mt. Airy in any capacity.

Within 72 hours of the execution of this order, Mr. DeNaples may request an informal hearing before me. This matter will be referred to the Board for a hearing to be held on February 5, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. in Harrisburg.

At that hearing, the Board may appoint a trustee to oversee the operations of the casino. Until a trustee is appointed by the Board, Mt. Airy’s management and independent audit committee will report directly to me.

Mt. Airy will continue to operate. We have assembled a team of employees from the PGCB who will accompany me to Mount Airy tomorrow where I will be meeting with casino management, as well as Mt. Airy’s independent audit committee. The purpose of these meetings with Mt. Airy’s key staff is to explain this order and its effect on casino operations. Mt. Airy currently employs approximately 850 people and generates an average of $1.45 Million in tax revenues to the commonwealth on a weekly-basis. I have every confidence that the necessary safeguards are in place to ensure the continued operations of this casino under the oversight of the PGCB. I do not anticipate that today’s events will adversely affect the casino’s operations or its ability to generate tax revenue.

As always, the PGCB’s primary objective is to protect the public through the regulation and policing of all activities involving gaming and practices that continue to be unlawful. I believe that the action taken by our agency today was necessary to fulfill our regulatory duties as set forth in the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act.

-----end statement from Neeb-----

Under its duty to protect the public through the regulation and policing of all activities involving gaming, the Board acts to take enforcement action after the Office of Enforcement Counsel investigated any matters involving either transgressions of the law or the Gaming Act, leading to complaints being filed against the individuals.

Board regulations require that notice be given to those individuals and organization, who then had the opportunity to respond.

In addition to these enforcement actions, the Board can also seek an emergency suspension of any license for an individual when certain events require immediate action, and when traditional notice and hearing procedures may not be speedy enough to ensure the public’s protection. In those cases, the Executive Director may temporarily suspend a license until hearings can be held.

For more information about the PA Gaming Control Board visit our website at http://www.pgcb.state.pa.us.

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