HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today unanimously voted to renew the Category 1 casino operator’s license of Presque Isle Downs, Inc., operator of the Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie County.

The seven member Board determined that Presque Isle Downs had fulfilled the obligations under its initial casino operator’s license and therefore qualified to have its license renewed. The new license is good for a three-year period.

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today reported that tax revenue from the play at table games at 10 casinos during the recently completed state fiscal year totaled $81,417,437.

It was the first fiscal year annual reporting of table games revenue after this form of legalized gaming was launched at nine casinos from July 8-18, 2010. SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia later added table games when it opened in September 2010.

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced today that it has moved the start time for the Wednesday, July 20, 2011 board meeting to 9:30 a.m.

The meeting, which had previously been scheduled for a 10:00 a.m. start, will be held at the PUC–Keystone Building, Hearing Room One located at 400 North Street, Harrisburg.

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HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported on its web site today that tax revenue produced from the play of slot machines during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2011 totaled $1,283,992,674, an increase of 7.8% from the same period in 2009-10 when tax revenue was $1,190,592,416. 

To date, since the opening of the first slot machine casino at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre in November of 2006, taxes just from slot machine play have totaled nearly $4.5 billion. 

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today posted on its web site the revenue figures for May table games play at the ten operating casinos.

Table games produced $51,401,083 in gross revenue in May generating $8,282,211 in tax revenue. Pennsylvania has a 16% tax rate on gross table games revenue with 14% going to the Commonwealth’s General Fund and 2% to the local host county and municipality.

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today levied a $26,000 fine against Harrah’s Chester Downs and Marina, LLC, operator of Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack, for allowing an underage patron to gamble at their facility.

The fine was the result of a consent agreement between the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel and the Delaware County casino, and was imposed for a violation of sections of the Gaming Act that prohibit individuals under the age of 21 to gain access to the gaming floor and gamble.

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today reported that slot machine revenue in May was $ 205.5 million, the fourth highest month for slot revenue recorded in Pennsylvania since the opening of casinos in 2006. May 2011 was topped only by March 2011 with $214.9 million, April 2011 with $211.4 million and July 2010 with $211.1 million.

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today released the fourth annual Pari-Mutuel Wagering Benchmark Report which shows a clear positive trend on the impact of slot machine play on the Commonwealth's horse racing industry.

The report draws comparisons on the status of pari-mutuel wagering over the five years since slot machine gaming began including its impact on the various indicators of pari-mutuel health for the years 2006-2010.

Highlights of the report include:

HARRISBURG: The Chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today said a report released by the 31st Investigating Statewide Grand Jury critical of the early practices of the Board is simply a rehash of “old news” at a significant cost to taxpayers.

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today publicly released on its web site the order and adjudication that contain the reasons for its decision to grant a Category 3 slot machine license Woodlands Fayette, LLC, operators of the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Wharton Township, Fayette County.