Images from a full day of casino presentations

Spokesman Harbach said Feb. 14 would mark the hand-off to the Bureau of Enforcement, which will begin an extensive review of the applicants to determine their eligibility to operate a casino. This includes background checks  and financial suitability.

Two hearings for public input on the proposals are scheduled for Thursday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Friday, April 12 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. These sessions will also be held at the convention center. Those who wish to speak can register on the PGCB website beginning on March 4. The board will also begin accepting written public comment at that time from those unable to speak in person.

When the board announced the hearing dates in December, it also said the window for anyone seeking to intervene is not tied to these public comment hearings. Parties seeking to intervene must do so no later than 45 days before the board’s suitability hearings on each applicant. Those suitability hearings, which will help the board determine who gets the license, have not yet been scheduled. They are not expected to take place until late summer or early fall, at the earliest.