Many Shocked Over Issuance of Slot Machine License

Many were surprised that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board decided to award Pittsburgh’s slot machine license to PITG Gaming LLC. Many thought that the slot machine license should have gone to Isle of Capri Casinos who had offered to pay for an entirely new arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Don Barden, winner of the slot machine license and the man behind PITG Gaming, has only offered to pay for a portion of the arena, with the Penguins having to put in some money themselves.

City officials are planning on meeting with the Penguins officials “to remove the uncertainty” that the team expressed after the announcement was made regarding the winner of the slot machine license. The team was partnered with Isle of Capri Casinos, one of two other applicants for the slot machine license. The city has said that they are “willing to sit town and negotiate” and that they have the ability to “sweeten” the deal for them, now that their partner will not be bringing in the slot machines nor building them a new arena.

Don Barden’s casino was one of 11 companies that had been vying for the slot machine license, and won that title after a yearlong process. Gaming Control Board Tad Decker said that the seven members of the board had reached agreement on the slot machine licenses Tuesday evening. He said he would not go into details as to why Barden was chosen for the slot machine license, but that the reason for why the board chose one over the others would be issued in a few weeks.

Governor Ed Rendell said that Decker had told him that the Majestic Star was “by far the best applicant” for the slot machine license, and that they had the “best traffic plan.” He also said that Barden had “practically zero political connections in Pennsylvania,” so that must have been a deciding issue for the board.

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