PRESS RELEASE

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will hold a hearing on Thursday, September 21, 2023 to take public comment on the renewal of the Category 1 Slot Machine Operator License for Downs Racing, LP, operator of Mohegan Pennsylvania in Luzerne County. The hearing will begin at 10:30 a.m. and be held at the:

Plains Township Fox Hill Firehouse No.2, 50 2nd Street, Plains Township, PA 18705

Citizens, public officials and community groups can choose to speak or submit written testimony. The hearing is open to the public.

Individuals who wish to provide in-person or written testimony should visit the Board’s website, gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov, and choose a special link on the homepage for more information and registration.  Persons wishing to provide comment will need to register ahead of time. The deadline for registration to speak or submit written testimony is noon on Monday, September 18th.

A listing of all government officials, community groups and individuals who have registered to speak at this hearing will be posted on the Board’s web site beginning one week prior to the hearing and updated daily.

Written comments can be submitted directly through the Board’s website. For those who wish to do so by email, fax or mail, they can be submitted as outlined below:

E-mail: boardclerk@pa.gov
Fax: 717-265-7416
Mail: PA Gaming Control Board, 303 Walnut Street 5th Fl. Commonwealth Tower, Harrisburg, PA 17101
Attention: Board Clerk

Pursuant to Section 1326 of the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act, all licenses are subject to periodic renewal.  The renewal application must include an update of the information since its last renewal.

To implement the renewal requirement, the Board utilizes a two-step process: 

·First, a public input hearing is held before the Director of the PGCB’s Office of Hearings and Appeals for the purpose of receiving documentary evidence, hearing testimony and building a record which the Board will use in its licensing decision.  The hearing record, along with a report from the Director of Hearings and Appeals, will be transmitted to the Board. 

·The second step is to hold a separate public hearing in Harrisburg at a later date where representatives of the casino licensee will offer evidence and oral arguments. At that time, the Board members can ask additional questions.

The burden is on the renewal applicant to establish and demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, its eligibility and suitability for renewal of a gaming license.  During the hearing, the renewal applicant will be given the opportunity to demonstrate, among other things, its good character, honesty and integrity; compliance with its statement of conditions; as well as provide evidence on tax revenue generated; jobs created; success in implementing its diversity plan; and involvement in the surrounding communities.

Following this proceeding, the Board will ultimately determine whether the licensee remains eligible and suitable consistent with the laws of the Commonwealth and are otherwise qualified to have the license renewed for a five-year period.

All questions that are not press-related should be referred to the PGCB’s Office of Hearings and Appeals at (717) 265-7451.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of gambling involving 17 land-based casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports wagering, and Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) at qualified truck stops, along with the regulation of online fantasy sports contests.

The land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania consists of six racetrack (Category 1) casinos, five stand-alone (Category 2) casinos, two resort (Category 3) casinos and four mini-casinos (Category 4).  A significant job generator in the Commonwealth, casinos and the other types of Board-regulated gaming generated over $2.3 billion in tax revenue during the 2022/2023 State Fiscal Year.

Additional information about both the PGCB's gaming regulatory efforst and Pennsylvania's gaming industry can be found at gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov.  You can also follow the agency n Twitter by chossing @PAGamingControl.