Pennsylvania Court Revives Track, Casino Plans

As reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A state appeals court has revived a Lawrence County family's hopes of opening a horse racing track and casino while dealing a blow to another group's plans to do the same in Beaver County.

"In a 6-1 decision announced Monday, Commonwealth Court reversed the state Harness Racing Commission's rejection of a proposal to build Bedford Downs near New Castle, calling it 'manifestly unreasonable' to blame the developer for his dead grandfather's business dealings with mobsters.

"In a 5-2 vote, the court also upheld the commission's rejection of another applicant for the state's fourth harness license, Indianapolis-based Centaur Inc., which wants to build Valley View Downs in South Beaver.

"…Commonwealth Court Judge Rochelle S. Friedman wrote that the state's gambling laws were designed to keep only people with mob ties out of the legalized gambling business…"

2006-06-20