Pennsylvanias Veon Gets Slots Despite Harness Track Rejection
House Democratic Whip Mike Veon, D-14, West Mayfield, discussed the possibility Monday that a slots license - which was supposed be tagged to the remaining harness racetrack license - could instead be changed by the Legislature into a general casino license for his western Pennsylvania district.
Veon said he hasn't committed to making that option happen, since there are legal and administrative possibilities for either Beaver or Lawrence counties to get a harness racetrack.
Centaur Inc., the applicant for South Beaver Township's proposed Valley View Downs, said it is appealing to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court a lower court's decision to uphold the denial of its racetrack application. And Lawrence County's Bedford Downs may renew its application to the harness racing commission for a track after being given the Commonwealth Court's go-ahead.
"I'm looking at every possible strategy to make sure western Pennsylvania gets an additional slots license, specifically Beaver or Lawrence County," Veon said. "My preference would be Beaver."
Under state gambling law, if regulators do not issue a slots license to one of the seven racetracks within five years, the license would revert to a general casino license and be open to applicants around the state. The law passed in 2004, making the timeline three years from now.
Veon said he sees nowhere else as geographically poised to receive a slots license, given the already probable locations of others around the state. Pittsburgh is due to get one casino license and Philadelphia two. The rest of the 10 racetrack, casino and resort licenses will probably be spread among the Pocono Mountains, Lehigh Valley, Erie and the southwest.
"This was supposed to be, generally speaking, a license that was issued to western Pennsylvania," Veon said. "We voted for this (gambling) bill. Western Pennsylvania should absolutely benefit from the fruits of the labor of many legislators who have supported gaming."
But Veon held off on giving any details about whether a legislative change is in the making.
"That's one option folks have looked at, that I've looked at myself," he said. "This was in the eventuality if one of the tracks for whatever reason couldn't get a license by the gaming board after five years."
The Legislature is due to take up an omnibus gambling bill this week to fix, among other items, a loophole that allows public officials to own a stake of up to 1 percent in gambling operations.
June 27, 2006
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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