Will Penn Gaming be stopped?

Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, founder of Quicken Loans and the developer of two Las Vegas-style casinos in Cleveland, didn’t get to where he is by playing nice with those who would seek to hurt him financially.

Which is why Gilbert’s comments Thursday during a conversation with Vindicator Reporter David Skolnick and this writer about a competitor, Penn National Gaming, locating a horse-racing track in the Mahoning Valley were so surprising.

Does Gilbert really not care that Penn National’s desire to move its track from Toledo, where it is building a Vegas-style casino, to land in Austintown off Route 46 — the Centerpointe property — is clearly designed to deprive him of the lucrative gambling market that exists in the Valley?

Does he really believe that this area is big enough to support a racetrack, possibly with video lottery terminals (electronic slots), and the two casinos he is building in Cleveland?

‘The Horseshoe’

Perhaps the Cavs owner was preoccupied with the announcement he had just made, along with Gary Loveland, chief executive officer of Caesars Entertainment, of the $350 million conversion of the Higbee Building in downtown Cleveland into a full-service casino. The unveiling of the artist’s rendering of “The Horseshoe” and the presentation of the financial and construction details were made during a news conference in the building. The event was attended by government, business and community leaders.

The conversion is Phase I of the Gilbert-Caesars joint venture, called Rock Ohio Caesars, and should be completed within a year. Phase II involves the construction of a full-service casino and resort on Huron Street that will take a couple of years to complete. It will undoubtedly cost more.

That’s why Gilbert’s lack of an angry response to Penn National’s plans didn’t ring true. This man isn’t given to being kinder and gentler when slighted.

Remember the LeBron James fiasco?

When the superstar of the Cleveland Cavaliers announced last year that he was leaving for the Miami Heat, Gilbert went after the Akron native with guns blazing.

He posted a letter to Cavs fans on the team’s web site that was anything but conciliatory.

And, in an interview with the Associated Press, Gilbert said it was “accountability time” for James.

“He has gotten a free pass,” Gilbert told The AP. “People have covered up for [James] for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is.”

And yet, he was almost sheepish in his reaction to the financial threat Penn National poses if it goes through with the construction of the racetrack.

In addition to the casino in Toledo, Penn National, headquartered in Indiana, is building a Vegas-style casino in Columbus.

The Gilbert-Caesars joint venture is building one in Cincinnati.

This is a high-stakes game being played by individuals who take no prisoners.

Gilbert did say he is not involved in an entity called Mahoning Valley Development Group that recently unveiled plans for a casino and resort in the area — Mahoning Valley Downs and Resort. The two principals, Rick Lertzman and Brad Pressman, said at a news conference that they have secured options on 200 acres and are looking to add another 500 acres.

Lertzman and Pressman also would not identify the investors who will be putting up most of the $350 million, but speculation points to Gilbert and Caesars.

Future involvement

The owner of the Cavs did leave open the possibility of future involvement, but insisted he is now focused entirely on the casino project in Cleveland.

Lertzman has said his group will identify the investors when it goes to the Ohio Racing Commission to apply for a license for the track.

Penn National also will be applying for a track license.

Two weeks ago, this writer suggested that Mahoning Valley Downs and Resort would gain instant credibility if Rock Ohio Caesars came forward and said it is investing in the project.

That has not happened.

On the other hand, if Penn National is serious about building a track in the Valley, Gilbert will be forced to act.

He did not become a successful businessman by letting the competition pick his pockets.