Lawrence Downs Bid Ends

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board yesterday decided unanimously to adopt a recommendation by Cyrus Pitre, effectively ending the 12-year process to create Lawrence Downs, a proposed harness racing track and Casino in Mahoning Township. The application sent in by Endeka Entertainment was officially denied yesterday after it was acknowledged that NewCastle Funding, the firm responsible for the finances of Lawrence Downs, had not held up its promises and made false claims in its ability to fund the project. Endeka had filed a civil lawsuit against NewCastle Funding and its prinicpal, Kurt Wise of Racine, WI. Lawrence Downs would have been the state’s only 1-mile track for harness racing, with nearly 1500 slot machines for public consumption had it been approved.