Recent decisions affecting the gaming industry in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have come under fire. A protest has been filed in New Jersey by Scientific Games and the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force is seeking access to more information from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Scientific Games claims that officials weighted the recent bid for the state’s lottery contract in favour of the present operator GTech Corp. On Tuesday the company filed a protest with the Division of Purchases and Public Property who will make a ruling that can be appealed to the Apellate Division of the Superior Court. Scientific Games has several complaints about the way the lottery bid was selected, including labelling statements in the state evaluation report as being inaccurate and focused on making GTech look better and Scientific Games look worse.

Other complaints were a conflict of interests by a public relations firm and a potential risk of a GTech buyout by an Italian lottery operator that in the past had been unable to obtain a licence from the Casino Control Commission. The tender in question was for operating and maintaining software and hardware for 6,200 lottery machines. Scientific Games also claims that the state illegally asked for a best and final offer without prior notice. Earlier this month GTech was granted a new 5-year contract even though it was not the low bidder.

In Pennsylvania secrecy surrounding slot machine operating licences is coming under fire. There was no intent in the gaming legislation passed last July to take the process out of the public domain, but the new Gaming Control Board also has no obligation to reveal details. The Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force, set up by the mayor of that city to assess possible developments in order to ensure the best possible product for Pittsburgh, wants better access to the plans of the applicants to be able to evaluate each proposal.

So far the Board has not made a decision on how much information it will release on applications from slot machine manufacturers, distributors and operators. The Task Force wants to know locations plus design and local integration plans of the applicants. At present the law only requires the names of applicants to be released, and further details of the winning bidder after the selection process.

Slot machine operators have until 28 December to apply for one or more of the 14 available licences. Seven licences will go to racetracks, two to resorts and five will be stand-alone operations. Pittsburgh is to have one slots parlour and the possible location has already been hotly contested. (E-11.23.05)

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