PA Gaming Control Board Renews Casino Operator's License for Mohegan Sun Pocono

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board yesterday unanimously voted to renew the Category 1 Racetrack Casino operator's license of Downs Racing, L.P., operator of Mohegan Sun Pocono in Luzerne County.

The seven member Board determined that Downs Racing, L.P. had fulfilled the obligations under its previously-approved casino operator's license and therefore qualified to have its license renewed for an additional five-year period.

The decision to renew the license was based on a process utilized by the Board that enables both the operator and the public to provide information relevant to the renewal decision. A public input hearing was held last year in the casino's host municipality, Plains Township, where personnel of Mohegan Sun Pocono submitted exhibits and presented testimony on various aspects of the facility's operation since its last license renewal was granted in August 2013.  The public was also permitted to provide testimony on the casino and its impact in the community.

In reaching its decision, the Board also reviewed testimony received at the hearing from local government officials, community groups and the PA State Police, along with the Gaming Control Board's Office of Enforcement Counsel, Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement, Office of Compulsive and Problem Gaming, and Casino Compliance. 

Additionally, a public hearing was held in Harrisburg yesterday to permit Board members to further question Downs Racing, L.P. representatives about any remaining issues prior to voting on the renewal. A PowerPoint presentation provided at the meeting is available on the Board's web site, www.gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov, under the Board Meetings tab.

Since its opening in November 2006, Mohegan Sun Pocono has generated nearly $2.7 billion in gross revenue from the play of slot machines and table games resulting in a return to the Commonwealth of approximately $1.38 billion in gaming tax revenue.  The Mohegan Sun Pocono currently operates over 2,300 slot machines and 91 table games, while employing 1,500 persons.

The next meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, February 7, 2018 in the PGCB's Public Hearing Room located on the second floor of Strawberry Square in Harrisburg. 

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board:

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of the state's casino industry, along with oversight of new gaming initiatives to the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act recently approved through the signing of Act 42 of 2017.

The Commonwealth's casino industry currently consists of 10 stand-alone and racetrack casinos in operation, along with the two smaller resort casinos.  These facilities collectively employ 18,000 people and annually generate approximately $1.4 billion in tax revenue from slot machine and table games play. The largest portion of that money is used for property tax reduction to all Pennsylvania homeowners.

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

SOURCE Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board