When people make plans things not always go according to them and one of the latest examples of such mishap took place this Friday in Pennsylvania. The scheduled and then rescheduled meeting for the fifth mini-casino auction turned out to be a dud as no casino developer showed up with a proposed sum of money for the construction of the next satellite casino venue in the state. As it is visible by the last several auctions, the interest towards the construction seems to be going in a downwards direction.
About two months ago when the auctions for mini-casino licenses first began, big casino developers were eager to participate in the said meetings and to make sure that their main gambling facilities will not be threatened by the future operation of a satellite casino venue.
However, throughout the weeks things might have changed, as this Friday saw no contestants for the right to acquire gambling license for a new mini-casino facility. It could be recalled that Pennsylvania Gaming Commission had the initial plan to hold the fifth auction earlier this week, but since the weather conditions were harsh it was postponed several days.
The scheduled for Wednesday meeting was postponed to Friday after bad weather closed the Harrisburg Capitol Complex. A winter storm system was moving through the area and a state of emergency was in effect for 26 Pennsylvania counties in the southeastern part of the state. As it was officially announced by the gambling authority which oversees the management of the gambling industry in the state, the license auction was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Friday in the Gaming Control Board’s public hearing room in Harrisburg. In reality, not even a single casino developer placed their bid for the construction of the fifth mini-casino venue.
Forecasts for the Fifth Satellite Auction
One of the supposed participants in this auction was rumored to be Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem which had their bid denied during the fourth mini-casino auction. It could be recalled that the last days of February the placed bid amounting to $9.8 million was first deemed winning, and shortly after that disqualified from the auction, as the proposed location interfered with previous plans. The location for the mini-casino venue was within the 15-mile radius of Hempfield Township, thus crossing over the area which had previously been secured by the winning proposal made from Mount Airy to build a mini casino in Lawrence County.
This Friday would have provided a second chance for the casino developer to bag a new license for operation, but no interest was shown. Following a discussion of the authorities, it became clear that a second round of auctions will be open for participation so that more casino operators could participate.
The new auction will take place on 21st March and casino developers which have won in previous meetings are allowed to participate again. The operators of Valley Forge Casino Resort and Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, which are smaller gambling facilities in the state are also able to place a bid. If no one places a bid next time, then the auction would be opened up to outside interests.
