HARRISBURG -- The state Gaming Control Board today unanimously approved the transfer of Pittsburgh's slots casino license from Don Barden to a group headed by billionaire Neil Bluhm.

The approval came much to the relief of two dozen contracting firms and unions that had gathered at the state museum here during the four-hour license-transfer hearing.

A closing on the $780 million financing deal is expected to be held tomorrow, and resumption of construction on the casino could start as early as Monday, said Mr. Bluhm and Dan Keating, general contractor.

Completion of the financing deal will allow Mr. Barden, who began construction on the casino, to pay off a $200 million bridge loan he had received and to pay contractors and subcontractors $50 million he had owed them for work done in April, May and June.

Work stopped on July 1 pending a refinancing of the project with Mr. Bluhm and other investors.

Mr. Bluhm said he hopes the casino will be ready for business in August 2009, or about four months later than had been projected before work stopped.

During the hearing, Mr. Barden urged the gaming board to transfer the license so that his original casino plan can be fulfilled by the new group of investors. Mr. Bluhm's group has promised to complete the project as designed and will keep commitments to fund a replacement for Mellon Arena and community development in the Hill District and North Side.

"I am determined to make this process go forward without a bankruptcy despite the hell I went through over the past few weeks," Mr. Barden said. "This will still be a world-class facility. It will still have the same attractive design. It will open with 3,000 slots and expand to 5,000 if market conditions warrant."

Greg Carlin, one of Mr. Bluhm's investors, told the board his group projects that in its first five years of operation the casino would generate a total of $49 million each for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County in host fees.

The casino also would generate $1.1 billion in the first five years in revenue for property tax relief, economic development and the horse-racing industry.