State Gaming Control Board Meets With SEA And Rivers Casino Officials

The State Gaming Control Board met with owners of Pittsburgh's Rivers Casino and members of the City-County Sports and Exhibition Authority on Wednesday to discuss when the casino must start making annual payments for the Penguins new arena. The SEA wants the casino to start making annual payments of $7.5 million dollars in October while the casino would like to start making payments anywhere between 2010 and 2012. The casino is set to open in August and Casino Spokesman Dan Fee says in order to operate a world class entertainment facility the casino needs more than a few weeks of operation before it can start to make payments to the city. Fee says the casino has financial obligations that reach beyond Pittsburgh like its bond holders and investors and says the casino has every intention to pay the $7.5 million but needs more time before it can make the payments.