The Pittsburgh Penguins may now be looking for a new home after the Pennsylvania gaming board decided not to award the slots license to Penguins backer Isle of Capri. If Isle of Capri had been awarded the license, it had pledged to build a $290-million arena next to the casino free of cost to the team as well as the taxpayers.

Rather the license for Pittsburgh's lone slot-machine casino has now been awarded to PITG Gaming, which is owned by Don H. Barden.

The rejection of Isle of Capri's bid was a further blow to the Penguins as only last week Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie withdrew from an almost done $175 million deal to buy them. It is thought that he pulled out because the NHL was adamant that the Penguins would not be allowed to move even if Isle of Capri lost the license.

League commissioner Gary Bettman admitted that the rejection of Isle of Capri was a huge blow to all concerned. "The decision by the gaming commission was terrible news for the Penguins, their fans and the NHL," he said in a released statement. "The future of this franchise in Pittsburgh is uncertain and the Penguins will now have to explore all other options, including possible relocation."

Penguins’ chief executive Ken Sawyer acknowledged that the future was uncertain at this point. "At this point our franchise enters a period of uncertainty, with our lease at Mellon Arena set to expire this summer. We will re-evaluate all our options before deciding on a course of action and making further comment," he added.