The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board recently held a three hour meeting in which six different casino groups delivered updates to the board regarding their projects - three of which have already commenced. One of these projects, however, received sharp criticism from the board because of unfinished plans and delays, which is precisely what the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has been pushing to avoid in order to get gaming taxes flowing and tax cuts for Philadelphia homeowners in place.

Philadelphia Park Casino wants to restructure the design of their permanent betting site next to their thoroughbred racetrack, but says it will two more months before these plans are even finished for the Gambling Control Board to approve. The board's response was direct and simple - Deliver the revised plans sooner or apply for an extension of their temporary slots license. Otherwise, Philadelphia Park will lose its casino operating privileges.

Back in December of last year, Philadelphia Park started operating slot machines with a conditional, temporary license. One of the key conditions of being granted this license was that Philadelphia Park would have to build a permanent facility for the slot machines. The way things stand now, Philadelphia Park has their slots on the first and second floor of their racetrack grandstands, with the racetrack betting concourse now situated on the fifth floor, which is an apparent inconvenience for patrons.

According to horse owners and trainers, they believe that Philadelphia Park is pushing away racing patrons to draw more crowds on the slot machines. Whatever they are up to, Philadelphia Park Casino now has an ultimatum to get their act in check and do as they originally promised in their agreement with the Philadelphia Gaming Control Board.

Also in attendance at the meeting were executives from Mount Airy Resort and Casino, Mohegan Sun, Hollywood casino and Meadows Casino, all of whom said their permanent casinos are scheduled to open as planned. The only other operator facing setbacks right now is Sands Bethworks Casino, who revealed at the meeting they have discovered deeply imbedded cement foundations on the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. site where their casino is to be constructed. President Robert DeSalvio said these will have to be removed, thereby pushing back the casinos opening from late 2008 to the second quarter of 2009.