Grand Opening Set for Noon Sunday

PITTSBURGH: The Rivers Casino has been given final clearance by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to officially and permanently open for business on Sunday, August 9th at noon. The Gaming Board approval comes after successful test periods on Wednesday and Friday.

"The team at the Rivers has passed each and every requirement with flying colors. That's a credit to the team they have put together and the project they have built," said Gaming Control Board Commissioners Ken McCabe and Sanford Rivers who, along with Chairman Greg Fajt, approved the Sunday opening of the casino to the public. "We wish them the best of luck and fully expect them to be a successful, integral part of the greater Pittsburgh community."

“We had two enormously successful test nights and are excited about our grand opening on Sunday,” said Greg Carlin, CEO of the Rivers. “I'd like to thank the entire Rivers team for all of their hard work and making all of this possible.”

The Rivers Grand Opening will be at noon on Sunday at the porte-cochere at the front of the casino. Representatives of the owners, management and public officials will be in attendance.

The Rivers is a 400,000 square foot entertainment facility with 3,000 slot machines, 4 restaurants, 4 bars and lounges, an amphitheater, a boat dock and riverfront paths located on the North Shore. More than 1,000 people have been hired.

In addition to the new jobs the Rivers is bringing to Pittsburgh, the project will also generate substantial tax revenues for the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Over its first five years of operation, the Rivers is projected to generate approximately $1.1 billion for the state in new taxes and assessments and approximately $98 million for the City and County.

About the Rivers Casino

The Rivers Casino is a joint venture between Walton Street Capital, High Pitt Gaming and Don Barden. Neil Bluhm, the Founding Principal of Walton Street Capital, has over four decades of experience developing commercial, residential and gaming properties. Greg Carlin, the CEO of High Pitt Gaming, LLC, has over a decade of gaming investment and management experience. Other casino projects owned and managed by Mr. Bluhm and Mr. Carlin include the Fallsview Casino Resort in Ontario, the Riverwalk Casino & Hotel in Vicksburg, MS, and the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia.