PRESS RELEASE

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will hold a hearing on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 to take public comment on the renewal of the Slot Machine Operator license for Category 2 licensee Holdings Acquisition Co., LP, operator of Rivers Casino Pittsburgh in Allegheny County. The hearing will begin at 10:30 a.m. and be held at:

The Allegheny County Courthouse, Gold Room #410
436 Grant Street,
Pittsburgh, PA  15219

Citizens, public officials, and community groups can choose to speak or submit written testimony. The hearing is open to the public and will also be live streamed from the Board’s website.

Individuals who wish to provide in-person or written testimony should visit the Board’s website, 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 Sunday, March 13th.

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.

While 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 16 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 three mini-casinos (Category 4).  Casino expansion will continue over the next couple of years with the anticipated openings of up to two additional Category 4 casinos. A significant job generator in the Commonwealth, casinos and the other types of Board-regulated gaming is expected to generate over $1.8 billion in tax revenue during the 2021/2022 State Fiscal Year.

Additional information about both the PGCB’s gaming regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania’s gaming industry can be found at https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/  . You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.