PA Gaming Control Board to Hold Public Hearing on June 30th for Harrah's Philadelphia Casino License Renewal

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 to take public comment on the renewal of the Category 1 Slot Machine Operator's license for Harrah's Chester Downs and Marina, LLC, operator of Harrah's Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack in Delaware County.

The hearing will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Chester City Hall, 1 E. Fourth Street, in Chester, Pennsylvania.

A website page has been established that will permit citizens, public officials and community groups to choose to speak at this hearing or submit written testimony. This page can be accessed by visiting the Board's website, www.gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov, and clicking on the "Harrah's Philadelphia Casino License Renewal Hearing" box under the Quick Links section.

The deadline for registration to speak or submit written testimony is noon on Monday, June 28, 2021. A listing of all government officials, community groups and individuals who have registered to speak will be posted on the Board's web site beginning one week prior to the hearing and updated daily.

While written comments can be submitted directly through the Board's website, for those who wish to do so by email, fax or mail, they can be submitted to the below:

E-mail:             [email protected]

Fax:                 717-265-7416

Mail:                PA Gaming Control Board
                        P.O. Box 69060
                        Harrisburg, PA 17106     
                        Attention: Board Clerk

Pursuant to Section 1326 of the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act, all licenses are subject to periodic renewal.  The renewal application must include an update of the information since its last renewal.

To implement the renewal requirement, the Board utilizes a two-step process: 

• First, the June 30^th public hearing will be held before the Director of the PGCB's Office of Hearings and Appeals for the purpose of receiving documentary evidence, hearing testimony and building a record which the Board will use in its licensing decision.  The hearing record, along with a report from the Director of Hearings and Appeals, will be transmitted to the Board.
• The second step is to hold a separate public hearing in Harrisburg at a later date where Harrah's Chester Downs and Marina, LLC representatives will offer evidence and oral arguments. At that time, the Board members can ask additional questions.

At the renewal hearing, the burden is on the renewal applicant to establish and demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, its eligibility and suitability for renewal of the gaming license.  During the hearings, the renewal applicant will be given the opportunity to demonstrate, among other things, its good character, honesty and integrity; compliance with its statement of conditions; tax revenue generated; jobs created; success in implementing its diversity plan; and involvement in the surrounding communities.

Following these proceedings, the Board will then be able to determine whether the licensee remains eligible and suitable consistent with the laws of the Commonwealth and are otherwise qualified to have the license renewed for a five-year period.

All questions that are not press-related should be referred to the PGCB's Office of Hearings and Appeals at (717) 265-7451.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of gambling at 14 land-based casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports wagering, and Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) at qualified truck stops, along with the regulation of online fantasy sports contests.

The land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania consists of six racetrack (Category 1) casinos, five stand-alone (Category 2) casinos, two resort (Category 3) casinos and one mini-casino (Category 4).  Casino expansion will continue over the next couple of years with the anticipated openings of up to four additional Category 4 casinos. A significant job generator in the Commonwealth, casinos and the other types of Board-regulated gaming annually generate over $1.5 billion in tax revenue.

Additional information about both the PGCB's gaming regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania's gaming industry can be found at https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/. You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Doug Harbach or Richard McGarvey - (717) 346-8321

SOURCE Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

Related Links

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