On Monday the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced that delegations from the Government of Singapore and the State of Kansas are shadowing members of the PGCB Casino Opening Team to learn more about how the agency ensures that a new casino is prepared to open to the public. The Opening Team, which is comprised of PGCB staff from the Bureaux of Gaming Operations, Gaming Laboratory, Casino Compliance and Licensing, works closely with the Department of Revenue and Pennsylvania State Police at each opening.

Today the group from Singapore, officials from the country’s Casino Regulatory Authority, will return home following nine days spent with the Opening Team. Pennsylvania’s casino opening process has been recognized as a model for assuring that a facility is prepared to meet strict regulatory requirements and open to the public, and officials in Singapore requested a visit to view an upcoming opening and witness the work of the team. The visit coincided with the opening of Las Vegas Sands’ Bethlehem casino, the company that will be opening Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Paul Resch, Director of Gaming Operations for the PGCB, says this type of reciprocation with other gaming jurisdictions was important in the early stages for Pennsylvania regulators who can now impart their knowledge to help others. “Over the past several years, gaming regulators from across the country have provided us with a wealth of information to establish a strong regulatory framework and a successful gaming industry in Pennsylvania. Now, we’re in a position to share what we’ve learned from opening and regulating our own casinos. We look forward to continuing to share best practices with our colleagues in other states and countries.”

Ginggi Choy, Assistant Director for Inspection and Compliance of the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore, commented, "This learning experience will better equip the Casino Regulatory Authority in its preparations for the upcoming opening of two casinos in Singapore within the next 7 to 10 months. With the PGCB's rich experience in the regulation of casinos, there is certainly much that we can learn from our Pennsylvania counterparts, and we look forward to forging strong ties between the casino regulators of Singapore and Pennsylvania.”

Joe Sellens, Enterprise Security Director for the Kansas Lottery, says they approached the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue to see if they could observe firsthand the many procedures necessary to conduct a casino opening and provide insight into best practices for opening a gaming venue. “We sought the help of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board because they are well known throughout the industry as having developed a very comprehensive and streamlined process for opening gaming venues and assuring that every machine is functioning and reporting correctly.”

Among the many items included in the Casino Opening Team’s checklist of performance criteria are:

• review and approval of the casinos’ surveillance and security systems including all restricted areas of the casino, the gaming floor plan, and internal control procedures;
• in-depth observation of staff in the surveillance room, cashiers’ cage, main bank, count room, and accounting department prior to opening and during the test nights to ensure casino duties and responsibilities are being performed properly;
• interviewing key casino personnel and attending employee training to ensure that staff are qualified, competent and properly trained to perform their duties and responsibilities;
• inspection of emergency alarms, key management systems, and electronic access control systems;
• verifying that all slot machines are communicating with the Central Control Computer System;
• inspection and testing of all slot machines and associated equipment to ensure performance of the machines and gaming systems;
• ensuring that casino employees are properly licensed by the PGCB;
• assurance that a compulsive and problem gambling plan has been submitted to the Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling along with signage for obtaining compulsive and problem gambling treatment;
• assurance of a submission of a hiring plan to the Director of Diversity; and
• posting of required signage for compulsive and problem gambling, weapons, and smoking and non-smoking areas. (E-05.22.09)

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