For a while yesterday, Sands Bethlehem was celebrating being named as winner of the fourth Category 4 casino location bid in the US state of Pennsylvania – but someone hadn’t done their homework.
Initially, it was believed that Sands’ bid of nearly $9.9m had earned the operator the opportunity to develop proposals for a site in the state’s Hempfield Township, in Mercer County, reserving a 15-mile radius around that location.
It transpires that the location – selected by the bidder – does not conform to the requirements for site selection.
In a statement, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s executive director Kevin O’Toole said the location intruded upon the reserved area of a previously secured Category 4 location held by Mount Airy, meaning the Sands Bethlehem bid is invalid.
The board will now examine the submission of the second and only other bidder in the round, Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment.
Representatives of the Gaming Control Board will reconvene at 10am (3pm, GMT) today in Harrisburg to announce the winning bid amount and open the location affidavit envelope.
