Last PA casino license granted, how will it work out?

Quote: rdw4potus

2. I thought the slots at the convention center in King of Prussia also got approved.
3. Isn't there a Hollywood casino ~10 miles from Harrisburg?

Valley Forge Center near King of Prussia was approved several years ago. They have been in litigation with PARX until recently.

Hollywood Penn National , the existing casino is about 23 miles from the proposed location at Harrisburg West Inn and Conference Center.

Of the four new proposals competing for the last casino license, except for Nemocolin, the proposed casino locations were not extraordinarily different than the existing casino locations.

Quote: pacomartin

Of the four new proposals competing for the last casino license, except for Nemocolin, the proposed casino locations were not extraordinarily different than the existing casino locations.

I'm pretty sure that we had previous communication regarding the last license; it frankly was pretty much a foregone conclusion that the last license was going to be awarded to Nemacolin Woodlands--none of the others either made much sense or were too politically controversial. The Fernwood application made no sense whatsoever especially in view of the cry and hue over the loss of business at Mount Airy following the opening of Sands-Bethlehem.

In any event, have you been following the goings-on at the Gaming Commission?

1. Speaker of the House McCall resigned his position without much explanation only to later accept a position on the Control Board (with a $40k/year raise)?
2. Much to do about how Mount Airy with controversial owner Louis DeNaples was awarded the license over Pocono Manor?

It seems like this might be the beginning of a true fiasco.

Quote: Niblick

I'm pretty sure that we had previous communication regarding the last license; it frankly was pretty much a foregone conclusion that the last license was going to be awarded to Nemacolin Woodlands--none of the others either made much sense or were too politically controversial. The Fernwood application made no sense whatsoever especially in view of the cry and hue over the loss of business at Mount Airy following the opening of Sands-Bethlehem.

In any event, have you been following the goings-on at the Gaming Commission?

1. Speaker of the House McCall resigned his position without much explanation only to later accept a position on the Control Board (with a $40k/year raise)?
2. Much to do about how Mount Airy with controversial owner Louis DeNaples was awarded the license over Pocono Manor?

It seems like this might be the beginning of a true fiasco.

For those of you not up to speed in Pennsylvania. The six licenses to the existing racetracks to make them racinos was pretty much a no brainer deal.

PA has built four stand alone casinos in addition to the racinos. One was Sands in Bethlehem PA, one was in downtown Pittsburgh, one in downtown Philadelphia (Sugar House), and one in the Poconos awarded to Mount Airy resort instead of another resort named Pocono Manor.

While the racinos basically went off without a hitch, everyone of the stand alone casinos has had serious problems with financing, neighborhood protests, and in the case of the Poconos, with mob connections.

My take on the situation with Mount Airy is a little cynical. The casino isn't producing much slot revenue. It's running 12 month high was for slots peaked at $186 million a few years ago, and is now down around $144 million. The slot revenue is where the state makes the lions share of it's profits with 55% tax rate. The table games are only taxed at 16% to be reduced to 14%. PA is looking at it's shittiest casino and they want to give the license to someone else.

The resort is 18 miles from New Jersey. The state wants to move the casino to Pocono Manor, or to have it sold to Ceasars, MGM Resorts, Penn National, or Foxwoods. They think it is capable of making a lot more money.

The license was awarded five years ago. Why complain about procedures now, if you don't want to take the license away?

Quote: pacomartin

The state wants to move the casino to Pocono Manor....

Unless GoogleMaps made an error, that's 2 miles from Mt. Airy.

And it's about a 40 mile drive to Sands, or 38 miles to Mohegan Sun. The next closest casino would be Parx in Philly, about a 115 mile drive. Actually, I think there is a Racino in New York that is closer.
Google map of PA Casinos

it still cracks me up... it was bad and illegal before, but now that the states need money, they legalize it everywhere and it is not bad anymore?

with all of the new casinos popping up all over the place, the best in show will prevail. companies that cater to what people want and are not whores like the ones that are/were in ac, will do fine. emphasis on entertainment and restaurants and sexy woman. that will keep the casinos packed. obviously they have to run operations lean and make sure the dealers and pit bosses arent stealing like they did at the Taj. Oh yea, they learned from their boss, Donald. all good!

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Unless GoogleMaps made an error, that's 2 miles from Mt. Airy. And it's about a 40 mile drive to Sands, or 38 miles to Mohegan Sun.

Yes, The Inn at Pocono Manor and Mount Airy Casino are literally right across the street from one anotherfrom one another. The competition between the two resorts for the casino license was fierce. When Inn at Pocono Manor lost, they sued, and the State Supreme court upheld the ruling in July 2007 only 90 days before Mount Airy opened their casino.

A third Pocono resort, named Fernwood Hotel applied for the last remaining mini-casino license (500 slot machines and up to 50 tables) which is in the same county as the other two.

They are all after the customer that lives in the region near where DJTeddyBear lives, in northern NJ.

But the main point is that Mount Airy has the lowest numbers in the state. Now with a ruling that the license was given to a mob-connected businessman without proper vetting, these other resorts can sue to have the casino moved. I suspect that Louis DeNaples will sell the resort to someone with another PA license before they move the casino. Possibilities include Foxwoods (who never built their casino in downtown Philadelphia), Penn National, Ceasars Corporation (who has the license in Chester PA).



An article about the mob in Northeastern PA is available in Wikipedia. The historic meeting of over 100 mobsters in 1957 was the basis for the mob meeting in the fantastic movie, Analyze This.

Quote: WatchMeWin

it still cracks me up... it was bad and illegal before, but now that the states need money, they legalize it everywhere and it is not bad anymore?

See also: marijuana. And there was a reason the 21st Amendment was ratified in 1933.

7out... exactly my point. Hypocrits they are.

If our society dictates what is right or wrong.. but then revoke those rules based upon monetary needs. How do we know what will get us to heaven?

Quote: WatchMeWin

If our society dictates what is right or wrong.. but then revoke those rules based upon monetary needs. How do we know what will get us to heaven?

What is your point? Was the US government wrong on the 18th amendment or the 21st amendment? Standards of public morality are always changing.

Quote: WatchMeWin

7out... exactly my point. Hypocrits they are.

If our society dictates what is right or wrong.. but then revoke those rules based upon monetary needs. How do we know what will get us to heaven?

Separation of church and state means your looking in the wrong place if your looking toward Washington for spiritual guidance.