Pennsylvania Governor Accused of Slots License Promiscuity
It was recently reported that, on a certain occasion, Pennsylvania House Speaker John Perzel allegedly implied that Governor Ed Rendell was promising a casino operation license to anyone who asked him. The governor's office, however, strongly denied such allegations, claiming that they almost amounted to slander.
Nevertheless, according to a statement issued by Perzel's office, the House Speaker's remarks were made just to "tease" Rendell, and did not intend to imply that he believed that Rendell actually did promise slots licenses to different gaming interests.
Although it was Rendell who appointed three of the seven members of the state's Gaming Control Board, he has no say regarding casino license authorizations. All casino-related decisions lie strictly with the board – whose four other members were appointed by Perzel and three other legislators. Under the board's policy, its members are forbidden to have contact with slots gaming license hopefuls. The board is expected to grant 14 casino and slot machine licenses by mid-December.
