The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has unanimously voted to renew the Category 2 Casino operator’s license of Holdings Acquisition Co., L.P., operator of Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.
Category 2 licenses are issued to standalone casinos for the operation of slot machines and are subject to initial licensing fees of $50 million.
Regulators determined that Holdings Acquisition Co., L.P. had fulfilled the obligations under its previously approved operator’s license. The state said the company qualified to have its license renewed for an additional five-year period.
The decision to renew the license was based on a process utilized by the Board that enabled both the operator and the public to provide information relevant to the renewal decision. A public input hearing was held on March 16, 2022 in the casino’s host municipality, the City of Pittsburgh.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh representatives 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 in 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.
A public hearing was also held in Harrisburg on Sept. 22, 2022 to permit Board members to further question casino representatives about any remaining issues prior to voting on the renewal.
Since its opening in August 2009, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh has generated $2 billion in tax revenue from the play of slot machines, table games and sports wagering. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh currently operates 2,466 slot machines, 129 table games, and a retail sportsbook.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh currently employs about 1,300 people.
Rivers Casino is a joint venture of Walton Street Capital LLC and High Pitt Gaming LP. Located in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood along the Ohio River, adjacent to the Carnegie Science Center and nearby Heinz Field and PNC Park, the casino had its groundbreaking in December 2007 and opened on August 9, 2009.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh is one of 15 casinos in the Keystone State.