By Brad Segall

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (CBS) — With a new casino set to open in Montgomery County, Pa. this spring, law enforcement officials are looking at ways to keep alleged mob figures away from the gambling establishment.

Montgomery County district attorney Risa Ferman says they are well aware of what’s happened in other jurisdictions where casinos have opened, and they want to make sure the Valley Forge Casino Resort is a place where people can go to have fun and enjoy themselves.

Accepting a $150,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, Ferman says they plan to learn from the mistakes of others when it comes to organized crime.

“We will be working not just with the gaming control board (and) with the state police, but with the local police and directly with the casino itself to ensure that criminal elements do not get a foothold,” she said.

The majority of the funding through the grant will be used for investigative personnel who will focus their efforts on the best ways to combat illegal gambling activity.  Ferman says that type of activity many times leads to other crimes.