DeNaples and Mount Airy Wins Case Against Slots Competitors

On July 19th, 2007, the state Supreme Court upheld the decision made by the state gaming regulators in giving the slot machine license to Louis De Naples, who wants to build a casino facility on the location of the former Mount Airy Lodge.

With the decision, Mount Airy Resort and Casino located in Paradise Township is on good track to be the first freestanding slots parlor in Pennsylvania. The $412 million dollars slots parlor is surrounded by 900 acres of land and will open in October, according to DeNaples' spokesperson Kevin Feeley.

A hotel facility will also open in November with 200 additional room added by next year. Last December 20th, 2007, the gaming board had given licenses to five out of thirteen applicants. Each license permits the winner to offer up to 5,000 slot machines.

Four of the losing applicants appealed the decision. The state Supreme Court has not decided on the other three appeals. The state Supreme Court also dismissed the arguments made by Greg Matzel's organization that the board gave unnecessary advantage to DeNaples.

The state Supreme Court commented that board's procedures left it unclear on how an applicant can protest in such cases but it also dismissed the allegations made by Matzel and his group.

Matzel also alleges that DeNaples had violated the state and federal campaign finance laws and did not pass good character requirements that are required in the state's slots regulation.

Last December 2006, a lawyer for alleged Scranton mobster William D'Elia said that investigators had asked him on whether DeNaples and D'Elia have any connections. Feeley said that DeNaples has no connection with D'Elia.

Other slots license winners include billionaire casino developer Neil G. Bluhm and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation from Connecticut.

The two parties are planning to build a casino at Philadelphia's waterfront. Don Barden from Detroit also won a license to build a casino and Las Vegas Sands won a license to build a casino at the former site of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation.

The losing slots applicants were led by Planet Hollywood Investors, Forest City Enterprises Incorporated from Cleveland and Isle of Capri Casinos Incorporated from St. Louis.

Sunday, 12 August 2007
Marissa Patterson