Proposed legislation would allow Pittsburgh Airport to sell 50/50 tickets
Under a bill sponsored by state Rep. Mark Mustio, Pittsburgh International Airport visitors might one day be able to buy 50/50 drawing tickets with the Allegheny County Airport Authority Charitable Foundation reaping at least half of the benefits.
House Bill 469 is before the House Gaming Oversight Committee now and was the subject of a hearing Monday. Besides Mustio, R-North Fayette Township, as sponsor, a co-sponsor is state Rep. Rick Saccone, R-Elizabeth Township.
The bill would allow an airport system in a second-class county to hold an annual 50/50 drawing with the proceeds going toward a charitable organization. Allegheny County is the only such county in Pennsylvania and the authority created its foundation in July 2014.
Mustio’s bill allows the airport to hold one drawing every year and make it accessible to passengers and visitors in the terminal. A winner would have 180 days to claim their prize or the money would go to the designated charitable organization.
In a co-sponsorship memo to colleagues in January 2015, Mustio said the authority “is constantly working with charity and civic stakeholders for the betterment of the airport and flying public.”
With the foundation receiving proceeds, Mustio said it “will allow needed upgrades and expansion to current and new charitable works at the Pittsburgh International Airport and extensions within the community.”
Vincent Gastgeb, vice president of government and community affairs for the authority, told the Gaming Oversight committee in a letter that the foundation’s mission “is to enhance the experience of travelers at our airports and to work with communities located closest to our airports to better the lives of their residents.”
Those efforts include a comfort room for active military members and veterans using the airport, art and cultural displays, including those featuring Andy Warhol, Mr. Rogers and the Tuskegee Airmen, as well as education scholarships.
“With an unwavering desire to operate one of the best airports in the world, this goal has a focus on an unrelenting passion to customer experience and service,” Gastgeb wrote. “Together, our art, cultural and chartable community plays a large part of our extended airport family.”