Gaming Boards Slots License Method Criticized

On October 23rd, 2007, the Mount Airy Casino recently opened for business but did not stop the criticism on the slot machine licensees by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The officials from the Gaming Control Board, State Police and the Governor's Office of General Counsel testified at a Senate Hearing on how the procedure is affecting the issuing of the slots license.

The Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement is tasked to conduct background checks. The state police officers assist on giving some information. Whether the Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement and the state police officers shared data became a huge issue after it became public knowledge that the Mount Airy Lodge was a subject of investigation made by the Dauphin County.

The investigation has been temporarily stopped by the state Supreme Court because the attorneys for the Mount Airy Lodge have said that the investigation is unfair. Previous reports have shown that the police officers and the state gaming board are at odds over the date that could be shared between them. Lt. Col. Frank Pawlowski, the deputy commissioner of operations for the state police said that regardless of what the BIE's responsibility under law, it cannot get data that are secured by federal law.

The supervisory special agent at the FBI's Philadelphia field office James Welch commented that the federal officials would not give any information regarding criminal activities to the gambling board. Welch told to Mary Collins, the chairwoman of the gambling board said that the FBI cannot provide information to the BIE because they are not allowed to give any information to anyone that is not considered to be a law enforcement agency.

Welch also said that the FBI previously dismissed a BIE request for information regarding Louis DeNaples, the owner of the Mount Airy Casino. After being informed that the FBI did not classify the BIE as a law enforcement agency, the Governor's Office of the General Counsel studied other states on how they are handling same situations.

The office also determined on whether the state Gaming Act would have to review to again in order establish the gambling board in the Attorney General's office. The proposal that was introduced in summer would modify the BIE as a more independent entity from the gambling board and give the attorney general more power over the bureau. The spokesperson for Gov. Ed Rendell, Teresa Candori said that nobody has said that vital information was not given to the gambling board.

Monday, 12 November 2007
Kori Woffendin