Don Barden's quest to secure permanent financing for his North Shore casino by Monday took another turn yesterday, as he asked the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for more time to complete the deal.

Board members unanimously agreed to postpone a public hearing into the financing while Mr. Barden seeks to negotiate final terms and conditions with lenders. In a motion filed with the board Tuesday evening, his lawyers said the terms and conditions had not yet been finalized.

"It's a complex matter. There are a lot of variables and this is taking time," said Bob Oltmanns, a spokesman for Mr. Barden and his company, PITG Gaming LLC.

Mr. Oltmanns wouldn't predict whether Mr. Barden would be able to close on the financing by Monday, when a $200 million bridge loan obtained to start construction of the casino matures.

He said the bridge loan is part of the negotiations on the permanent financing. The loan came from Credit Suisse, the same international lender from which Mr. Barden is seeking $650 million in permanent financing.

"I think it's speculative at this point," he said of a closing by Monday. "We're asking for more time with the board so we can continue our negotiations with the lenders. I can't comment on when we will close on our financing."

Asked if Mr. Barden's financing for the casino was in trouble, Mr. Oltmanns replied, "I wouldn't say that. I'm not going to elaborate on the nature of the negotiations other than to say we need a little more time to wrap them up."

To characterize the proposed deal as in trouble would be "inaccurate," he added in a later interview. "It's just a complex negotiation that has taken time," he said.

The postponement came on the heels of Mr. Barden's request to the state Supreme Court earlier this week for a quick ruling on an appeal filed by the Riverlife Task Force over the size of the casino garage.

His lawyers tied the request to the financing, saying a ruling one way or the other "will allow PITG and its lenders to assess the terms of the loans knowing whether an appeal will remain pending or will be terminated."

Mr. Oltmanns said the request for a fast ruling and the postponement of the gaming board hearing are both part of the effort to complete the financing.

Mr. Barden filed a petition before the gaming board April 17 requesting approval of the financing.

Besides the $650 million in loans he is negotiating with Credit Suisse, he is seeking another $150 million from a syndicate of banks to finance the $770 million project, including fees, contingencies and insurance.

Analysts said yesterday it is not unusual for such negotiations to take four to six weeks to conclude.

"These deals take time. They're subject to negotiation. Some deals take longer than others," said Keith Foley, senior vice president of the corporate finance group for Moody's Investors Service.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said he saw no reason to be concerned about the request for the delay at this point.

"Until they put the red flag up at the gaming board, full steam ahead to get this thing open," he said. "I'm not going to be concerned unless the gaming board gives us reason to be concerned."

To help bolster his financing, Mr. Barden has pledged to sell his Fitzgeralds casino in downtown Las Vegas and set aside $35 million to make debt service payments in the first year of the North Shore slots parlor's operation if the money isn't required for the construction.

Joseph Weinert, senior vice president of Spectrum Gaming Group, an industry consultant, said Mr. Barden probably is trying to get the best deal he possibly can, given the current credit crunch and high interest rates.

Analysts have said the proposed interest rates on the $650 million in Credit Suisse financing ranged from 9 percent to 16 percent.

"The timing of the situation, through no fault of his own, is poor," Mr. Weinert said. "There's not a lot of money to be had right now. It's really unfortunate for the Barden group. As attractive of a development that he has, getting affordable money these days is tough sledding."

He added that high interest rates proved to be too much of a burden for Donald Trump's casinos, including the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., which was forced into bankruptcy in the early 1990s.

Mr. Oltmanns said the bid to complete the permanent financing is having no impact on the casino's construction, which started in December. The slots parlor is scheduled to open next May.

No new date has been set for the gaming board hearing on the financing and Mr. Barden's requests to postpone construction of a casino ballroom and outdoor amphitheater to the second and third years of operation, respectively.