The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board rejected on Wednesday Dunmore-based businessman Louis A. DeNaples’ bid to resume business with Mount Airy Casino Resort, located in Monroe County. Mr. DeNaples is in fact the founder of the said casino but relinquished his ownership rights back in 2009.
The businessman’s petition to be allowed to do business with Mount Airy drew 4 positive votes by board members against 3 negative ones. However, it failed eventually as Richard Jewell, who is one of the four legislative appointees on the board, cast a negative vote.
Under certain terms, all four appointees need to vote in favor of a given motion in order for it to be approved. The board said after the Wednesday vote that it would issue a written explanation of its decision.
This was the second time that Mr. DeNaples’ petition was denied by the state gambling regulator. The businessman tried to limit in a way the scope of a background check that needed to be carried out in order to be allowed to provided gambling service. He had requested in his petition for the check to be concerned only with matters that took place after June 2012, when a restructuring plan for the casino took effect.
However, members of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s enforcement arm said that they would not approve such a precedent where the applicant himself was trying to determine the conditions of the background check. According to Assistant Enforcement Counsel Glen Stuart, a full and comprehensive background investigation needs to be performed so that public interests are protected.
Mr. DeNaples has repeatedly told the state gambling regulator that he and his businesses would provide Mount Airy with certain goods and services at considerably lower prices that casino officials currently pay.
The matter stems from a background investigation that took place in 2006, just before Mr. DeNaples was licensed as an owner of Mount Airy. Back in 2008, the businessman was indicted by a Dauphin County jury on perjury charges regarding his possible relations to organized crime figures. The charges were incited by sworn testimony for Mr. DeNaples’ application for a gambling license from the state regulator.
Eventually, those were dropped in 2009 but the businessman had to relinquish his ownership of Mount Airy and to transfer the casino to a family trust that would operate it. Under a 2012 restructuring plan, Mr. DeNaples’ children took control over the said casino. Ever since, he has been prohibited from being paid any cash or receiving any property distribution from the family trust that currently manages the Monroe County gambling venue.
