HARRISBURG: Casino Journal magazine, a publication that covers the entire North American gaming industry, has lauded the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as one of their “People of the Year” for 2007.

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today unanimously approved 11 applications for permanent slot-machine gaming operator licenses, including five for the first stand alone casinos awarded under the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act of 2004.

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today released its schedule of public meetings for the coming year.

Under the schedule, the Board will meet regularly on the first and third Thursdays of each month. The only exceptions are the meetings on Tuesday, January 9th, Thursday, February 22nd and the scheduling of only a single meeting in both July and August on the third Thursday. All meetings are open to the public.

The complete schedule is as follows:

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced today that it is canceling its Tuesday, January 9, 2007 meeting.

The next meeting of the Board will be Thursday, January 18, 2007. That meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. and held in Hearing Room #1 in the North Office Building in Harrisburg.

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has begun a weekly posting on its web site of gaming revenues from licensed operators. The reports provide a breakdown on wagering, payouts to patrons and the amount of machines operating.

Gaming Control Board Executive Director Anne Neeb said these reports are another step by the agency to provide information about Pennsylvania’s newest industry.

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced today that it is canceling its Thursday, January 18, 2007 meeting.

The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for Thursday, February 1, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in Hearing Room #1 in the North Office Building in Harrisburg.

Contains Legal Opinions for Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and At-Large Selections

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today publicly released on its web site the adjudication documents that contain the opinions for its selection of awards to the five Category 2 slot machine operator’s licenses.

HARRISBURG: The amount of money wagered at Pennsylvania's slots casinos surpassed $1 billion over the weekend - less than three months after the opening of the first slots facility. To date, gaming has generated more than a quarter billion dollars for the Commonwealth.

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced today that it will hold a board meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, 2007. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held in the State Museum Auditorium located at the corner of Third and North streets in Harrisburg.

Among the agenda items for this meeting will be the swearing in of Gary A.Sojka, the appointee of the PA House Minority Leader.

With the addition of this meeting, the Board also announced that it has cancelled both the February 22nd and March 1st meetings.

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board began providing an on-line reference service on its web site to assist individuals in finding out more about employment opportunities at licensed facilities in the Commonwealth.

Executive Director Anne Neeb says that while the Board cannot recommend individuals for employment at slots facilities, it can and should do everything possible to help persons seek jobs in this new industry.