PROVIDENCE — Three businesses were chosen Tuesday morning to represent people owed money by Twin River in the Lincoln gambling hall’s bankruptcy case.

Overwhelmed by more than a half-billion dollars of debt, Twin River’s owners agreed to turn over the keys of the 62-year-old dog track and slot parlor to their lenders, led by Merrill Lynch Capital, and let them bring in a new operator within 120 days under an agreement filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on June 23.

U.S. Trustee Gary L. Donahue has chosen: Steven Pagliarini, of Central Nurseries, in Johnston; Lisa A. Geremia –– a lawyer representing the Rhode Island Greyhound Owners Association, , and Gary Puget, of Automotive Service and Technology, in Lincoln, as members of the committee representing unsecured creditors in the bankruptcy case. It is possible for the committee makeup to change, and even grow, during the course of a bankruptcy.

Representatives of the three businesses met privately Tuesday with professionals seeking to become consultants to the committee during the bankruptcy. The committee chose Jager Smith P.C., of Boston and New York City, as its legal counsel. It has not yet chosen a financial adviser.

Unlike a secured creditor — say, a bank that’s lent money to a business that posts property as collateral — unsecured creditors have nothing on which they can lay claim to settle a bill, a building for instance.

The U.S. trustee acts as an administrator in bankruptcy cases, ensuring that the people, businesses and organizations potentially affected by the bankruptcy have access to the information they need to seek payment for products or services from financially distressed companies.

The creditors’ committee, and others with a financial stake in the case, will next meet formally July 31, in the jury assembly room at the U.S. District Court, in Providence, where Donahue will preside over a review of the financial filings made by Twin River operator UTGR Inc.

UTGR Inc. is a subsidiary of BLB Investors — a holding company made up of Kerzner International Limited, the Waterford Group LLC and Starwood Capital Group — which invests money for pension funds across the country.

pgrimald@projo.com