Just a month after stepping down as the mayor of Pittsburgh, Ed Gainey has been sworn in as the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s newest commissioner.
“[Gainey] was appointed by House Speaker Joanna McClinton and replaces Frank Dermody,” said a spokesperson for PGCB. “Commissioner Gainey’s first meeting will be February 25th.”
The new position comes with a $145,018 salary, per information available as of December. The board oversees the state’s gambling industry, regulating slot machines and table games at casinos, as well as horse racing, sports betting and online gaming.
The agency has power to levy fines and revoke licenses for operators who violate state rules, and it can also bar individual gamblers from gaming locations.
Word of Gainey’s future appointment to the board had been circulating for weeks among politicos, though without official confirmation. Dermody, a former state representative from Allegheny County who once led House Democrats, did not respond to a request for comment made by WESA last month.
McClinton’s office did not immediately comment on the appointment, and Gainey did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.
Gainey’s new job was approved on Thursday, after a mandatory state police background check — which is required for all prospective gaming control members — came back without issues.
The agency formed after the state legalized gambling in 2004. Since then, it has often been a landing place for former elected officials: Some Harrisburg observers have called the position “a golden parachute.”
Commissioners approve the agency’s yearly budget and oversee operations, a task that takes place at board meetings held up to twice a month. Commissioners also collectively serve as the boss of the board’s executive director Kevin O’Toole, who has been in the role since 2009.
Most commissioners are chosen by state leaders, and they can serve up to six years. Party leaders in the House and Senate can appoint a commissioner for three two-year terms, and the governor can appoint candidates for two three-year terms.
Dermody, who lives in Oakmont, was in office for 30 years between 1991-2021. He was previously appointed by McClinton in 2021, and he could have served until 2027.
The former mayor will join gaming control chair Denise J. Smyler and commissioners Sara Manzano-Díaz, George Dunbar, Shawn Dillon, Christopher W. Huffman, and the board’s second-newest member, Maria D. Quiñones Sánchez.
He’ll also serve alongside state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, state Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne, and Agricultural Secretary Russell Redding. All three hold what are considered “ex-officio” positions.
Sanchez, a former member of Philadelphia City Council, was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro and sworn in Jan. 14. She participated in her first board meeting this Wednesday, according to a spokesperson.
This story is developing and will be updated. Chris Potter contributed.