The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has unanimously voted to renew the Category 1 horse track casino license of Downs Racing, operator of Mohegan Pennsylvania in Luzerne County.
The Board noted that Downs Racing had fulfilled the obligations under its previously approved casino operator’s license and therefore qualified to have its permit renewed for an additional five-year period.
The decision to renew the license was based on a process utilized by the Board that enables both the operator and the public to provide information relevant to the renewal decision.
A public input hearing was held in September 2023 in the casino’s host municipality, Plains Township, where personnel of Mohegan Pennsylvania submitted exhibits and presented testimony on various aspects of the facility’s operation since its last license renewal was granted. The public was also permitted to provide testimony about the casino and its impact on the community.
In reaching its decision, the Board also received information from local government officials, community groups and the PA State Police, along with the Gaming Control Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel, Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement, Office of Compulsive and Problem Gaming, and Bureau of Casino Compliance.
Additionally, a public hearing was held in Harrisburg to permit Board members to further question Downs Racing representatives about any remaining issues before voting on the renewal.
Since its opening in November 2006 through December 2023, Mohegan Pennsylvania has generated about $4 billion in gross revenue from the play of retail slot machines and table games, sports wagering and iGaming. It has returned a total of $2 billion from tax revenue, assessments, and fees to the Commonwealth. Mohegan Pennsylvania currently operates 1,630 slot machines and 67 table games while employing 891 persons.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board oversees all aspects of gambling involving 17 land-based casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports wagering, and Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) at qualified truck stops, along with the regulation of online fantasy sports contests.
The land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania consists of six racetrack (Category 1) casinos, five stand-alone (Category 2) casinos, two resort (Category 3) casinos and four mini-casinos (Category 4). A significant job generator in the Commonwealth, casinos and the other types of Board-regulated gaming generated $2.35 billion in tax revenue during in 2023.