Pennsylvania' Seven Spring Sale to Affect Resort's Slots Casino Application?
It was recently reported that the sale of Seven Springs, a popular resort in the Laurel Mountains of Western Pennsylvania, is likely to jeopardize the resort's application for a slots casino license. On top of the newly-acquired resort which hopes to operate slot machines, the Nutting family, also partly owns the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team – a situation that could create a conflict of interests involving an undesirable mix between the sports and the gambling industries.
The new owner reportedly said that Seven Springs chief operating officer Scott Bender would meet with the state's Gaming Control Board to discuss the issue and examine possible options to avoid a conflict of interests without compromising the proposed slots application. Seven Springs is one of the two slots casino license competitors for the two available slots licenses the state has set aside for resorts.
The planned slots venue, which carries a $5.4 million price tag, is expected to create 335 jobs and generate about $126 million in yearly revenue. The parlor will cover a 26,900-square-foot gaming space and offer as many as 500 slot machines. The casino project is also expected to allow the resort to upgrade its 400-room hotel.
