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Pittsburgh Penguins May Partner with Gambling Company

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – As reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune: "The owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins have been talking to gambling companies about forming a partnership to bolster their bid for the city's only slot machine casino license, majority owner Mario Lemieux said Thursday.

"Lemieux, who declined to identify which companies the team is speaking with, plans to sell his majority interest in the hockey team to California venture capitalist William 'Boots' Del Biaggio III.

"Lemieux would retain a 5 percent ownership interest in the team and would stay on as CEO, he said yesterday at the 2005 Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational, Lemieux's annual benefit golf tournament.

"…Lemieux said Del Biaggio wants to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh, but is uncertain whether he can do that without some help paying for a replacement for Mellon Arena.

"…That's where the slots license comes in.

"'The only way that we can get a new facility for Pittsburgh is through slots,' Lemieux said. 'We've heard a million times that the county and the city don't have any money. ... There's still a way to make it work, if they want to, through the slots (license).'…"

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