PA Gaming Control Board Casino Opening Team Shares Its Successful Procedures With...

PA Gaming Control Board Casino Opening Team Shares Its Successful Procedures
With Asian and Kansas Gaming Regulators

BETHLEHEM, Pa., May 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Delegations from the
Government of Singapore and the State of Kansas are shadowing members of the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's Casino Opening Team to learn more about
how the agency assures that a new casino is prepared to open to the public.

The PGCB's Casino Opening Team, currently on-site at the Sands Casino Resort
Bethlehem, ensures the slot machine licensee complies in all respects with the
Gaming Act and the Board's Regulations and Technical Standards prior to
opening to the public. The Opening Team, which is comprised of PGCB staff
from the Bureaus of Gaming Operations, Gaming Laboratory, Casino Compliance
and Licensing, works closely with the Department of Revenue and Pennsylvania
State Police at each opening.

The group from Singapore, officials of their Casino Regulatory Authority, is
spending nine days with the Opening Team, May 14 to 22.

The Singapore team discovered, at an international gaming conference, that
Pennsylvania's casino opening process was recognized as a model for assuring
that a facility was prepared to meet strict regulatory requirements and open
to the public. It was at that event in Las Vegas that Singapore officials
approached PGCB officials and asked if they could spend time at an upcoming
opening in Pennsylvania and witness the work of the Casino Opening Team.

The officials from Kansas represent both the Lottery and Racing and Gaming
Commission where implementation of a Central Control Computer System, like
that used successfully in Pennsylvania to monitor and report slot machine
revenue, is being set up. The Kansas contingent, who were also hosted by the
Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and GTECH, the operator of the
Commonwealth's Central Control Computer System, visited May 12 and 13.

Paul Resch, Director of Gaming Operations, for the PGCB says this type of
reciprocation with other gaming jurisdictions was important in the early
stages for Pennsylvania regulators who can now impart their knowledge to help
others.

"Over the past several years, gaming regulators from across the country have
provided us with a wealth of information to establish a strong regulatory
framework and a successful gaming industry in Pennsylvania," says Resch. "Now,
we're in a position to share what we've learned from opening and regulating
our own casinos. We look forward to continuing to share best practices with
our colleagues in other states and countries."

The PGCB's Casino Opening Team is preparing for two test sessions at the new
Sands facility on May 18 and 20. Pending successful completion of these tests
and approval by designated members of the Gaming Control Board, the Sands
anticipates opening its doors to the public on May 22.

Ginggi Choy, Assistant Director for Inspection and Compliance of the Casino
Regulatory Authority of Singapore, says reaching out to the PGCB as an expert
regulator and observing how the Casino Opening Team does its work will be
extremely beneficial in their work to open new casinos in that country.

"This learning experience will better equip the Casino Regulatory Authority in
its preparations for the upcoming opening of two casinos in Singapore within
the next 7 to 10 months," Choy says. "With the PGCB's rich experience in the
regulation of casinos, there is certainly much that we can learn from our
Pennsylvania counterparts, and we look forward to forging strong ties between
the casino regulators of Singapore and Pennsylvania."

Benny Wong, Assistant Director of Gaming Technology in Singapore, says two
PGCB officials who attended that international conference, former Chairman
Mary Colins and Susan Hensel, Director of Licensing, were instrumental in
facilitating the visit.

"With the impending opening of casinos by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation in
both Pennsylvania and Singapore, the Casino Regulatory Authority is highly
appreciative that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board extended this
opportunity for us to witness the Bethlehem Sands casino opening and thereby
secure a rich understanding of the significant role its agency plays in the
process."

Kansas is working toward opening its first gaming facility and is putting in
place a structure that is similar to that in Pennsylvania. Joe Sellens,
Enterprise Security Director for the Kansas Lottery, says they approached the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
to see if they could observe firsthand the many procedures necessary to
conduct a casino opening and provide insight into best practices for opening a
gaming venue.

"We sought the help of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board because they are
well known throughout the industry as having developed a very comprehensive
and streamlined process for opening gaming venues and assuring that every
machine is functioning and reporting correctly," says Sellens.

Stephen Martino, Executive Director of the Kansas Racing and Gaming
Commission, says his agency is better prepared to open a casino because of
this learning opportunity.

"We took away a wealth of knowledge from all of their expert staff that will
undoubtedly save us from many of the pitfalls associated with the startup of
gaming in our state," Martino says. "We thank the Pennsylvania Gaming Control
Board, Department of Revenue, and GTECH for their hospitality and look forward
to strengthening our partnership in the years to come,"

The work at Sands Bethlehem is the tenth such process conducted by the PGCB
Casino Opening Team. This includes two openings each at Mohegan Sun at Pocono
Downs and The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, both of which began operations in
a temporary facility and then moved to larger permanent facilities, along with
five initial openings in permanent facilities.

Among the many items included in the Casino Opening Team's checklist of
performance criteria are:
-- review and approval of the casinos' surveillance and security
systems including all restricted areas of the casino, the gaming floor
plan, and internal control procedures;
-- in-depth observation of staff in the surveillance room, cashiers'
cage, main bank, count room, and accounting department prior to
opening
and during the test nights to ensure casino duties and
responsibilities
are being performed properly;
-- interviewing key casino personnel and attending employee training to
ensure that staff are qualified, competent and properly trained to
perform their duties and responsibilities;
-- inspection of emergency alarms, key management systems, and electronic
access control systems;
-- verifying that all slot machines are communicating with the Central
Control Computer System;
-- inspection and testing of all slot machines and associated equipment
to
ensure performance of the machines and gaming systems;
-- ensuring that casino employees are properly licensed by the PGCB;
-- assurance that a compulsive and problem gambling plan has been
submitted
to the Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling along with signage
for
obtaining compulsive and problem gambling treatment;
-- assurance of a submission of a hiring plan to the Director of
Diversity;
and
-- posting of required signage for compulsive and problem gambling,
weapons, and smoking and nonsmoking areas.

CONTACT: Doug Harbach or Richard McGarvey, +1-717-346-8321

SOURCE Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

Doug Harbach or Richard McGarvey, +1-717-346-8321, both of Pennsylvania Gaming
Control Board