Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming Corp., which had applied for one of the two Category 2 licenses to be granted for what the board calls "tourism-enhanced" locations, has also dropped out of the running. This category allows for up to 5,000 slots over time. As a result of the withdrawals, the board will be able to issue just 11 of the 14 licenses to be granted by the state.
The reasons for the three withdrawals are varied. According to a statement by locally based Nemacolin, it dropped its bid because the gaming board required that patrons of the resort would have to spend $25 on non-gaming purchases each visit before being permitted to play the slot machines for the resort's planned Wild West casino.
"The law clearly indicates that these Category 3 licenses, which allow just 500 machines, are to be an added amenity for use by guests of an existing resort," Doug Harbach, with the board, tells GlobeSt.com. "It's always been written that way, but it became obvious a month ago that Nemacolin hadn't interpreted it that way. Their decision to withdraw was a business decision."
Seven Springs "was a very different matter," Harbach says. This June, as reported by GlobeSt.com, the resort was acquired by the Nutting family, which also has ownership in the Pittsburgh Pirates. Major League Baseball prohibits team owners from also owning gambling venues. The Nuttings' "attempted to re-formulate the ownership structure to avert the MLB ban, but the family was still at the top of the ownership chain," Harbach says, adding, Seven Springs' withdrawal "was an MLB issue."
Boyd planned to develop a $325-million casino in Limerick Township. Faced with opposition from the community, the township's board of supervisors failed to endorse the plan.
Six Category 1 licenses that apply only to horse-racing tracks have been granted. The board will vote on the remaining applications on Dec. 20. "Sometime in the future," Harbach says, "the board will announce plans for filling the three open applications." Meanwhile, State Rep. William DeWeese, who is expected to become speaker of the state House of Representatives in January, has announced that he will introduce a bill to legalize poker, blackjack and other table games in the state's gambling venues. The current law allows only for slot machines. Gov. Ed Rendell has promised to veto such legislation.
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