College Casino License Debate At Continues With PGCB Hearing
Next week, the next stage in the casino license request for Bally’s Casino in Happy Valley will be approved or denied.
The hearing is taking place in Harrisburg on December 14th 2022, at 10 am, and this will be proposed by the PGCB – the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Curious gamers and locals will be able to watch via the PGCB website, and the recording will be available to the public online after.
About the State College Casino Debate
Cordish Companies filed a 390-page request on August 26th 2022, to intervene against Bally’s Casino’s license. Cordish Companies currently operates Stadium Casino in PA, and you can find the first 19 pages of their petition online. This situation has become a sensation in the gambling industry. Many have turned more attention to online casinos. An important selection factor is casinos in Pennsylvania list, which helps players find those factors in evaluating casinos that are important to them.
It isn’t their first legal rodeo, as Cordish Companies also lodged a lawsuit to Commonwealth Court in 2021 against SC Gaming OpCo. It followed the company’s owner, Ira Lubert, winning a $10 million 2020 auction bid to apply for a 5th PA mini-casino.
On December 14th, seven PGCB commissioners will hear arguments from both parties. However, we already know senior counsel members will not be present, thanks to a PGCB statement from November 30th.
Nittany Mall Casino Bid Issues
Lubert placed a bid due to his ownership position in the Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh. However, Stadium’s petition and the lawsuit allege that this bid violates PGCB rules. It was through partnering with individuals (including Bally’s) that aren’t qualified to place an offer on the upcoming PA casino project.
SC Gaming OpCo currently lists Robert Poole as a vice president, alongside Richard Sokolov as another. The allegations state that these two added to the bid’s payment and that they have additional interests in three other Lubert LLCs.
Lubert denies these allegations, and his attorneys have written that the bid payment came directly from Lubert’s own bank account. This would make him the lone owner of SC Gaming OpCo. In his filings, the documents state that Sokolov and Poole are officers of the LLC but not involved in any ownership.
PA residents against Penn State casino
Local opposition that is against the casino centers states about the impact this casino would have on the student population. What troubles residents the most is the negative effect online gambling has on a particular age group.
Daniel Materna, the vocal casino opponent in Centre County, faced severe consequences of gambling addiction; his family home became broken a few decades ago.
While Materna continues to anticipate this legal matter, the PGCB cannot vote to approve or deny the casino license while the Commonwealth Court case is still pending. The case that languished in the court on March 7th still awaits the judges’ official decision.
In the same way, it’s hard for PGCB to deny the license before they receive the conclusion of the Commonwealth Court case, as it would be extremely difficult to explain why they made that decision while the case was still pending an official decision.
One of the highest regarded attorneys in the Commonwealth, Attorney Mark Aronchick, who represents the non-winning bidder, is arguably squared off in court against Rudy Giuliani. Aronchick was the person to represent public officials in the 2020 Trump campaign’s lawsuit aimed to block the certification of the Pennsylvania vote.
As a result, Materna is confident that Aronchick will succeed in his goal for the PGCB, and the petition will intervene.