The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has approved the petitions of three casinos to conduct table games, bringing to five the total of casinos that has gained this approval. Last month the operators of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Luzerne County and the parx Casino/Philadelphia Park Racetrack in Bucks County gained Board approval of their petitions to operate table games. Approved by the Board following conclusion of the public hearing process were: Mount Airy #1, LLC, operator of Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County; Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, operator of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Dauphin County; and Sands Bethworks Gaming, LLC, operator of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Northampton County.

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Chairman Greg Fajt said the approvals keep the process of implementing table games at casinos moving forward. He says Board staff and the casinos are continuing to work toward getting table games up and running as soon as possible, all the while doing so with a priority to protect the collective needs of the Commonwealth. The goal continues to be a rollout of table games sometime around mid-year 2010.

The casinos approved each finished their own public hearing, a process that began earlier this year in each of the respective municipalities with the collection of public input. The three casinos explained to the Board that they would create over 1,300 new full-time jobs to support their expansions into table games. In addition, each informed the Board that it has the financial wherewithal to pay the state-mandated $16.5 million table games fee by June 1st of this year and will dedicate millions of additional dollars toward construction at their facilities to accommodate table games.

Mount Airy Casino Resort table games startup proposal: Banking Games – 56 total consisting of 34 Blackjack tables, 2 Craps tables, 4 Roulette tables, 4 Three-Card Poker tables, 2 Pai Gow Tile tables, 2 Pai Gow Poker tables, 2 Let It Ride tables and 4 Baccarat tables; Non-Banking Games – 12 Poker tables; additional jobs to be created by table games – 480 total consisting of 330 full-time and 150 part-time; renovations of gaming facility which will employ an addition 75-100 construction workers; table games training – provided at off-site facility.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course table games startup proposal: Banking Games – 40 Banking Games consisting of 20 Blackjack tables, 4 Craps tables, 4 Roulette tables, 2 Baccarat tables, and 10 tables for other games; Non-Banking Games – 12 Texas hold ‘em/Stud Poker tables; additional jobs to be created by table games – 439 total consisting of 331 full-time and 108 part-time; estimated yearly taxes generated to Commonwealth and local governments from table play - $4.9 million; table games training – provided at facility.

Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem table games startup proposal: Banking Games – 77 total consisting of 41 Blackjack tables, 4 Craps tables, 4 Roulette tables, 4 Three-Card Poker tables, 5 Mini Baccarat tables, 4 Midi Baccarat tables, 4 Pai Gow Poker tables, 1 Big Six table, 2 Let It Ride tables, 2 Caribbean Stud tables, 4 Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker tables, 1 Casino War table, and 1 Sic Bo table; Non-Banking Games – 12 Poker tables; additional jobs to be created by table games – 393 full-time; renovations of gaming facility which will employ an addition 100 construction workers; table games training – provided at facility.

“While the approval to conduct table games is critical, the Board still has months of work to do in order to assure patrons at our casinos that table games will be conducted fair and by employees with the highest integrity,” Fajt said. “In kind, the casinos must complete rearrangements of the gaming floor space, hire thousands of new employees and allow each to be investigated by the Board, and assure that patrons are offered a clean and enjoyable experience by properly training the table game dealers.” (E-04.08.10)

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