Gaming Control Board

==Background==
* GAMING CONTROL BOARD -- Gambling Control Board (not exact)
* Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
==Links==
* http://www.pgcb.state.pa.us
* All_bets_off_on_casino_info
===Media===
* Gaming board fighting 'meritless' appeals P-G, March 2007
* State gaming board seeking $34 million budget for 2007 from December 05, 2006, by Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau
==Details==
===People of PA Gambling, 2006 (contacts)===
5th Floor, Strawberry Square, Harrisburg 17101
FAX	346-8350
Receptionist	346-8300
CHAIRMAN Decker Thomas A	346-8300
Administrative Assistant to the Chairman, Schoen Roseann	610-943-1339
Board Members
* 	Angeli Ray	346-8300
*	Mary Colins Mary D	Colins 346-8300
*	Coy Jeffrey	346-8300
*	Marshall Joseph W “Chip” III	346-8300
*	McCabe Kenneth	346-8300
*	Rivers Sanford	346-8300
* Administrative Assistant to Ms. Colins, Manning Daria	610/943-1340
* Administrative Assistant to Mr. Coy, 	Posavec Cheryl	346-8327
=====Executive Staff=====
* Executive Director, Anne Neeb LaCour	346-8336
* Administrative Assistant, Wanich Lyndsey	346-8336
* Board Secretary,	Resch Paul	214-4736
* Office of Communications
* Director of Communications, Hays Nick	346-8321
* Administrative Assistant	Cromwell Elizabeth	346-8321
=====Legislative Liaison Office=====
* Legislative Liaison, DeFrank Steve	346-8222
* Stambaugh Dan	346-8222
* Legislative Assistant, Zerfuss Kathryn	214-8222
=====Office of Chief Counsel =====
* Chief Counsel, Donaghue Frank	346-8300
* Deputy Chief Counsels, Sherman R. Douglas	346-8300
* Williams LaMonte J	346-8300
* Williamson Maureen	346-8300
* Director of Race Track Gaming, Tucker Melinda M	346-8300
* Director of Regulatory Review	Sandusky Richard	346-8300
* Deputy Director of Regulatory Review, Afrogola Michelle	610/943-1342
Deputy Director of Licensing
	Horner Nanette L	346-8300
Senior Counsel
	Rodriguez-Cayro Nick	346-8300
Attorneys
	Doherty James	346-8300
	Grad Joseph W	346-8300
	Hayes Kevin	346-8300
	McClain Lisa D	346-8300
	Shiffer Don	346-8300
Paralegal
	Joyce Deborah C	346-8300
Special Assistant to the Chief Counsel
	Lubold Pamela 	703-2818
Administrative Assistant
	Creed Kelly	346-8314
Bureau of Corporate Compliance
and Internal Controls
Director
	Frushone-Miskin Denyse	703-2562
Administrative Assistant
	Pfaff Debra	703-2562
Special Assistant to the Director
	Andrews Lydia	703-2977
Manager – Internal Controls/Compliance
	Bender Andrew	703-2972
Manager – Corporate Compliance
	Talerico James	703-2976
Bureau of Licensing
Director
	Hensel Susan	214-4732
Administrative Assistant to the Director
	Kaylor Barbara	214-4732
Special Assistant to the Director
	Fegley April	346-8326
Administrative Assistant to Licensing
	Sarver Tracy	703-2820
Manager – Operator Licensing Unit 
	Hannon Sean	214-8112
Administrative Assistant to Sean Hannon
	Bollinger Dorine	214-8112
Manager – Vendor Certification Division
	Kunkle William	346-2709
Administrative Assistant to William Kunkle
	Shearer Nikki	346-2709
Bureau of Administration
Director
	Walsh Michael	346-8354
Special Assistant to the Director
	Gritman Kym	346-8354
Procurement Specialist
	Graham Amanda	346-8328
Conference/Travel Support
	Chambers Donna	346-8341
Office of Human Resources
Director
	Chan Wendy	346-8338
Administrative Assistant
	Wilson Chelsea	346-8338
Human Resource Analyst
	Bott Joseph	346-8345
Human Resource Assistant
	Graham Kim	346-7174
Office of Information Technology
Director
	Buck James	346-8330
Administrative Assistant
	Megonnel Sherry	346-8330
Information Technology Specialist
	Williams Benjamin	214-8229
Telecommunications Specialist
	Semarge George	346-8355
Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement
Director
	Kwait David	346-8343
Administrative Assistant
	Yanoscak Angie	346-8343
Director of Investigations
	Sturgeon Tom	703-2568
Administrative Assistant
	Bruno Lori	703-2568
Training & Internal Affairs Officer
	Smeal Ron	703-2811
Background Investigations Manager
	Sharpe Greg	346-2706
Central Office
Deputy Director
	Vacant	214-8217
Administrative Assistant
	Kathy Filbey	214-8217
Supervisor
	Mauro Paul	214-8217
Eastern Regional Office
Deputy Director 
	Greenbank Roger	610/757-1321
Administrative Assistant
	Davis Deborah	610/757-1321
Supervisors
	Green Dexter	610/757-1321
	Sykes Donna	610/757-1321
Western Regional Office
Deputy Director
	Rendin Philip	412/569-0067
Administrative Assistant
	Beebe Theresa	412/569-0067
Supervisors
	Brletic Thomas	412/569-0067
	Wells William	412/569-0067
Office of Chief Enforcement Counsel
Chief Enforcement Counsel
	Schwoyer Michael	703-2565
Administrative Assistant
	Reighter Kathy	703-2565
Attorneys
	Davenport Nan	346-8300
	Diehl Thomas	346-8300
Bureau of Hearings & Appeals
Director
	Edminston Michael	346-8325
Administrative Assistant
	Vacant	346-8300
Hearings Officers
	Miller Dale	346-8325
	Simmons William	346-8325
Hearings Clerk
	Kane Marianne	346-8325
Bureau of Gaming Laboratory Operations
Director
	Williamson Richard	703-2821
Administrative Assistant
	Siegfried Cynthia	703-2821
Manager – Slot machine Certification
	Cruz Michael	214-8231
Manager – Systems & Kiosks
	Dill Heather	346-7170
Manager – Statistical Review
	Purohit Nimish	346-7171
=====Bureau of Budgets and Financial Management=====
Chief Financial Officer
	Vacant	346-8300
Manager of Board Budgets
	Rhen David	214-8116
==News==
* " The Times-Tribune - Gaming Board staffers rake in $100G a year bY MICHAEL RACE
HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF, 08/10/2006
: If Fumo and company could not get the start-up costs and timing right when they wrote Act 71, how do we know that they got the final costs and benefits right?
===http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/24116===
====Slots board borrows trouble====
: by Helen Colwell Adams, Staff Writer, Sunday News, Jul 15, 2006
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - State violates law by giving it money from Revenue Department.
A legislative advisory agency has concluded that the Rendell
administration violated the state constitution by transferring $7.3
million from the Revenue Department to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
The Legislative Reference Bureau opinion, dated June 14, was requested in March by state Sen. Noah Wenger, R-36th District, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The opinion was further confirmation of critics' contention that the
gaming board, established in 2004 to license and oversee up to
61,000 slot machines in Pennsylvania, is struggling with its
finances.
According to the reference bureau, by moving money from one agency to another without legislative approval, the administration infringed on the General Assembly's constitutional power to allocate
money.
In a letter accompanying the opinion, Stephen MacNett, general counsel for the Senate Republican Caucus, also questioned whether state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. failed to "bar the constitutional breach" before issuing the contested funds.
A budget official in the Rendell administration and a deputy treasurer both defended the transfer, arguing the shift of funds was consistent with the intent of Act 71, the Gaming Act.
That 2004 law earmarked $36.1 million for slots startup costs, divided among three agencies.
Terry Kostoff, deputy treasurer for fiscal operations, suggested
that varying views of the transfer are a matter of "different
attorneys interpreting the law differently."
MacNett, however, said the GOP caucus — which has already sued Gov.
Ed Rendell over the Democrat's use of the line item veto — may
consider other options to get a more definitive legal ruling on the
transfer.
In the meantime, MacNett said Thursday, "I am led to believe the
[gaming] board didn't know today, at least earlier, where their
money's coming from yet."
"It's been controversial from the beginning," Wenger said of
expanded gambling, "and there are still some unanswered questions."
=====Two issues=====
The dispute over the $7.3 million transfer raises at least two
issues — the propriety of shifting the funds without legislative
approval, and the financial status of the gaming board.
Opponents of expanded gambling have been arguing recently that the
board was living on "borrowed money," as Dianne Berlin, coordinator
of CasinoFreePA, put it.
A gaming board spokesman had said on July 7 that he didn't have any
information on the board's finances.
But according to the Legislative Reference Bureau's opinion, the
board and Revenue Department signed an interagency agreement Dec.
22, 2005, "with the approval of the Governor's Office of the
Budget," to transfer $7.3 million from Revenue's Act 71
appropriation to the gaming board.
That would seem to indicate that the gaming board by then had spent
its $7.5 million allocation from Act 71. The board has no other
source of income until slots are up and running.
The Sunday News filed a Right to Know request with the board last
week for budgets and audits. As of Friday, the board had not yet
responded.
Act 71 says the gaming board is an agency covered by both the Right
to Know Act, which governs open records, and the Sunshine Act on
open meetings.
Mary Soderberg, executive deputy secretary of the budget and chief
financial officer of the commonwealth, had said on July 7 that the
budget office was treating the $36.1 million in Act 71 as a single
pot of money.
But the law distributes that $36.1 million among three agencies: the
gaming board, at $7.5 million; the state police, at $7.5 million;
and the Revenue Department, at $21.1 million.
Kostoff said the $21.1 million was for a central computer system.
Wenger said Rendell did not include any funding for the gaming board
in the draft budget he submitted earlier this year to the General
Assembly.
The board might need $23 million more to stay afloat, one
legislative source said.
Wenger said he raised questions about the board's funding during
budget hearings in late February and early March, and requested the
reference bureau opinion after that.
"I'm not sure how they plan to finance that until revenue becomes
available through the gaming board," Wenger said.
"... With a considerable number of employees and other
responsibilities, there are ongoing expenses."
"More stench is added to that already permeating the commonwealth
from Act 71 and the Pennsylvania Out-of-Control Board," Berlin, of
Penryn, said of the controversy.
"The sad part is that this pattern of blatant disregard for the
constitution and the best interest of the citizens has become par
for the course with just about everything connected with this
seriously defective law."
=====Balance of powers=====
The other issue, which the Senate GOP caucus may press in coming
weeks, is whether the $7.3 million transfer was valid.
Under the constitution, the reference bureau wrote, the Legislature
has sole power to allocate money.
Article III, section 24, of the constitution says that "no money
shall be paid out of the treasury, except on appropriations made by
law and on warrant issued by the proper officers."
The reference bureau cited case law to argue that transfers of
appropriations without General Assembly action is prohibited.
But Soderberg, the deputy budget secretary, said administration
lawyers think "the transfer of funds between these appropriations is
consistent with and conforms to the legislative intent of Act 71."
"It has long been established law and policy in the commonwealth
that the transfer of funds between agencies are lawful and
appropriate without further legislation, provided that the funds are
used for the purpose for which they were originally appropriated —
in this case, the implementation of Act 71."
Kostoff, the deputy treasurer, also argued that while the $36.1
million was divided, the law cited a common purpose for all the
money, which was implementing the Gaming Act.
He said he had not seen the reference bureau's opinion and so
couldn't address its details.
But he rejected MacNett's suggestion that the treasurer's office
didn't flag the issue: "We looked at this to make an assessment
whether or not it was a valid transfer of money."
The reference bureau wrote, "Although a common purpose for the
appropriations is stated, the separate appropriations to the board
and the department are explicitly for the board and the department
to fulfill their respective responsibilities under the Gaming Act."
=====More transfers=====
Still unresolved in the debate is how the gaming board will get
money to operate until casinos are licensed.
MacNett said he thinks Rendell will try to transfer any Revenue
funds left from Act 71 — projected recently at $2 to $4 million — to
the gaming board.
"The administration's ignoring this legal opinion [of the reference
bureau] at this stage," he said.
Language in a fiscal code bill passed earlier this summer continues
the availability of remaining money from Act 71 through this fiscal
year, he said.
When that money runs out, MacNett expects the administration
will "orchestrate through the budget office some kind of a loan from
some other state fund."
"I have to think," he added, "the same legal issues are going to
exist on that as existed in the spring transfer."
In a supplemental appropriations act passed in May, the Legislature
specified that the Revenue Department's remaining Act 71 money —
estimated then at $8.563 million, which was to expire on June 30 — "shall lapse." Rendell, however, has line-item-vetoed that
provision, saying the language was "inappropriate for the General
Appropriations Act."
House and Senate legislative leaders already are litigating another
case over Rendell's use of the line item veto, arguing in a lawsuit
over abortion funding that the governor cannot strike language
without also vetoing the money attached to the language.
MacNett said Rendell's veto of lapsing the Act 71 money, which he
termed "nonsense, legally and logically," involves a similar issue.
"Should the administration lose in court," he said, "then it would
seem his lapse language veto in House Bill 2380 would be likewise
voided — the monies would be lapsed, and there would be no residue
of Act 71 funds available for use by either the board or the
department."
GOP senators and legislative sources insist a proposed amendment to
the slots law, which Sen. Vince Fumo, D-Philadelphia, attempted to
push through just before the Legislature recessed for the summer,
would have included a $50 million loan to the gaming board from the
Motor License Fund.
Under the constitution, though, any loans from the Motor License
Fund would have to be repaid in eight months — a tight timetable for
the gaming board, which has been mired in disputes over regulations
and lawsuits.
A $50 million fee for each casino license must be paid when licenses
are issued, but the board isn't close to approving any yet.
All the Act 71 money is considered a loan to be repaid to the
general fund.
MacNett said the Republican caucus may "start taking on the issue"
within the next week or so, although the form of a challenge isn't
certain yet, to get a more definite legal ruling.
One possibility: "calling the treasurer to task" for not questioning
the interagency agreement.
"Where's the authority to do this?" MacNett asked. "Should this
transfer be reversed?"
"The plot thickens," Wenger said.
category:organizations Gambling