Published: July 03, 2008 11:56 am            

Slots revenue now past the $1 billion mark

With the past week, the amount of revenues generated just from the play of legalized slots machines in Pennsylvania casinos passed the $1 billion mark.

This money represents a new revenue stream that has begun delivering property tax relief, has reinvigorated the horse racing industry, funded emergency services and police department grants, and provided the base funding for local economic development projects.

As we witness this milestone, it is important to note what has been accomplished by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board since the first slot machine was played at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre just 19 months ago.

In addition to Mohegan Sun, facilities at five other horse race tracks, Philadelphia Park Casino in Bensalem, Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack in Chester, Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie, The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington and Hollywood Casino at Penn National in Grantville have begun operations.

Mount Airy Casino Resort in the Poconos, the first stand-alone facility, also opened, and these facilities are producing a combined $2.5 million a day in new revenues.

Collectively, these facilities have created more than 5,500 living-wage jobs, the vast majority held by Pennsylvanians, and an additional 15,000 jobs through the hundreds of millions of dollars in construction.

The employees of the PGCB, Pennsylvania’s first new agency in more than 35 years, have worked hard to swiftly launch this new industry, all the while not sacrificing quality for speed in its licensing process.

Our work, however, is far from finished. We are currently overseeing the opening of world-class facilities in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Bethlehem, the expansion of three existing facilities, and the awarding of the final three licenses permitted under the Gaming Act.

While this important work has led to economic benefits, the PGCB is also working hard behind the scenes to ensure that this industry meets the highest standards in terms of both the quality of persons permitted to work at the casinos and the safety of its patrons.

Employees and vendors of all slots facilities must go through an intensive background check before they can work at or do business with a slots facility.

The Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement has conducted more than 12,000 of these investigations. Due to our strict policing of the licensing process, more than 15 percent of the individuals who applied for jobs at slot facilities have been denied.

The operations of the slots facilities are also held to high oversight and regulatory standards. Each facility must adhere to strict regulations that deal with every element of their day-to-day operation.

To enforce this, Gaming Control Board staff is located at each facility and can respond at a moment’s notice. This setup, which also includes a full-time presence by our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police and sophisticated video surveillance systems, has led to a minimal amount of criminal activity at the casinos. Indeed, patrons can feel very safe within the walls of Pennsylvania’s slots casinos.

You can be assured that our work at the Gaming Control Board is conducted with the priority of protecting the interests of the people of Pennsylvania.

We will continue to provide the public with the confidence that our agency is dedicated to a strict regulatory process that assures that these facilities remain safe, enjoyable and profitable.



Mary DiGiacomo Colins is chairman and Frank T. Donaghue, acting executive director, of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

        

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