In a new twist to Pennsylvania’s gambling expansion plans, none of the state’s existing casinos bid Friday for the right to be the fifth one to operate one of the smaller new mini-casinos.
In four previous rounds of silent auction bidding held every two weeks by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, winning bids totaled some $120 million — including for mini-casinos planned in Westmoreland and Lawrence counties — although the value of the bids declined each time.
The lack of new bidding raises questions about the potential for a mini-casino to come to Mercer County. Two weeks ago, the casino in Bethlehem owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corp. placed a $9.9 million bid for a satellite operation centered around Mercer, only to have the bid invalidated by the state board because its designated geographic area was too close to the competing mini-casino planned in Lawrence County.
The Sands officials had the right to alter their geography slightly and bid again Friday but did not. The decision possibly was affected by the company’s announcement Thursday that it would be selling its Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem property to a gaming company operated by a Florida Indian tribe.
The lack of mini-casino bidding by Sands or any of six other eligible Pennsylvania casinos that did not previously win a mini-casino means a new, broader round of bidding will take place on March 21. Those same seven operators, as well as the four previous winning bidders and the holders of two existing resort casino licenses — including the Lady Luck Casino at Nemacolin Woodlands — will all be eligible to place a minimum $7.5 million bid to choose a location for a mini-casino containing up to 750 slot machines and 30 to 40 table games.
Gary Rotstein: grotstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1255.
First Published: March 9, 2018, 7:31 p.m.
Updated: March 9, 2018, 7:31 p.m.