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Pittsburgh Gaming Panel Faces Hard Questions

PENNSYLVANIA – As reported by the Pittsburgh Gazette: "Like an inexperienced recruit joining savvy sailors at a craps game for the first time, a new task force intending to influence Pittsburgh's legalized gambling had a lot of questions yesterday that defied easy explanation:

"How much revenue is likely to be earned by whomever wins the license to operate up to 5,000 slot machines?

"Will it be a facility dependent on local players or designed as a destination center for out-of-towners?

"What is the best criteria for the city to use in determining its preferred gaming site and developer?

"Those were but a few of the issues pondered by volunteer members of the Pittsburgh Citizens Gaming Advisory Panel at its initial meeting yesterday. Members agreed their role is not to challenge the merits of legalized gambling, but to make it work in the best way possible for the city.

"Before going to their day jobs, they met over bagels and coffee in the conference room of Mayor Tom Murphy, who appointed them to the panel three weeks ago from a cross-section of business, labor, political and community groups.

"…The lame-duck mayor's primary charge to the group, which has no guaranteed authority, is to influence both the potential operators of Pittsburgh's future slots parlor and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. That state board, made up of gubernatorial and state legislative appointees, is expected to determine next year which applicant will win the license and where the facility will be located…"

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