PA Gaming Control Board To Begin Making Category 3 Public Files

First Category 3 Hearings Scheduled for October

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today announced that it has placed the local impact and diversity reports for the Category 3 gaming licenses on its web site.

Four applications were received in June for the two available Category 3 licenses permitting the operation of up to 500 slot machines at an existing resort hotel. Those applying were:

Bushkill Group, Inc. d/b/a Fernwood Hotel & Resort in Bushkill, Monroe County.
Valley Forge Convention Center Partners, L.P. in King of Prussia, Montgomery County.
Vacation Charters, Ltd., a/k/a the Resort at Split Rock in Lake Harmony, Carbon County.
CE-Palace, LP, a/k/a the Palace Inn in Monroeville, Allegheny County.

“As with all of its licensing proceedings, the Board is committed to a thorough and transparent process in the awarding of slot machine operator licenses,” said Anne Neeb, Executive Director. “The posting of these reports is the first step toward providing the public with all information on every Category 3 applicant that is permitted to be made public under the Gaming Law.”

Neeb says additional information, including the applications for each entity seeking a Category 3 license, will be made available prior to the start of public hearings.

The Board also announced that Category 3 hearings, designed to determine applicant eligibility under the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act are scheduled for October 16 and 17, 2007 in Harrisburg. Those hearings will enable the Board to accept testimony as to whether the applicants can comply with the requirements for Category 3 licensing under the Act including the 15 mile distance requirement (from another licensed facility), common ownership (between the resort and the licensee), the requirement to have 275 guest rooms, and whether the facility is a “well-established resort”.

Both of those hearings will take place in PUC Hearing Room 1 in the Commonwealth Keystone Building located at 22 South Third Street in Harrisburg. The October 16th hearing will begin at 11:00 a.m. and the October 17th hearings at 9:00 a.m.

A schedule for public input and licensing hearings for this category of slot operator licenses will be announced in the future.

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