PA Gaming Control Board says it wants to rebuff claims it is secretive
April 10, 2008
By MARC LEVY
Associated Press Writer
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Seeking to counter criticism that they are too secretive, state gambling regulators said Thursday they approved a change to the casino licensing process to allow public disclosure of as much information about an applicant as possible under the law.
Almost since its inception, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has been dogged by accusations that it was too secretive, particularly when it held confidential meetings with casino applicants in 2006 before it awarded 11 slot-machine gambling licenses.
Under a new regulation that received preliminary approval from the gaming board Thursday, gaming control board members would be permitted to ask applicants questions at public hearings about matters otherwise considered confidential.
The applicant would then have the option to either answer the question in public – and waive their right to confidentiality on the matter – or request that the information be reserved for a confidential hearing closed to the public.
If applicants request confidentiality, they would have to demonstrate to the board that the information should be considered confidential under the law.
Gaming board chairwoman Mary DiGiacomo Colins said the agency is limited by the 2004 law that legalized slot machines as to the information about an applicant's background that it can reveal.
"If there is a way that we can rebuff any criticism that there should be more openness, we will of course try to do that," Colins said after the gaming board's meeting.
Colins would not say whether more information could have been made public during the first round of casino licensing, only saying that the gaming board followed the law.
The Dauphin County grand jury that recommended four perjury charges be filed against Mount Airy Casino Resort owner Louis A. DeNaples criticized the provision in the law that requires information about an applicant's background be kept confidential.
The secrecy makes it more difficult to disprove any false information provided by an applicant, the Jan. 30 grand jury report said.
DeNaples was accused of lying to gaming board investigators to receive his license. His lawyers said DeNaples is innocent and are contesting the charges in court.
Before the gaming board can give final approval to the regulation, the attorney general must approve it and the public must have the opportunity to comment on it for 30 days.
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