Developer Frustrated With Philly Casino ProcessMore Than Two Years Later, No Casino License Has Been Awarded |
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It has been more than two yeas since we knew that the city of Philadelphia would be home to another casino. However, the state has not yet picked a firm to build it.
Six firms were once interested and now it’s down to four. One of the remaining bidders—Philly-based mogul Bart Blatstein—is getting frustrated, according to newsworks.org.
“The frustration comes from I think there are forces trying to keep the other casino license from going out and that is the frustration,” he said.
“I do believe there is a lobbyist being paid to kill the license."
Philly is in the same region as struggling Atlantic City, which has seen four casinos close so far this year. Regulators in Pennsylvania might also be biding their time (one of numerous reasons for the delay) as the situation plays out in Atlantic City.
According to the report, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board would not say “when the fate of that second city casino license would be decided.”
Thanks to his reputation and history with the city, it has been speculated that Blatstein is the favorite. He wants to build a casino in the former Philadelphia Inquirer building. Other casino plans call for projects near the sports stadiums. A downtown casino is what people want.
Las Vegas casino legend Steve Wynn was once interested in a Philly casino, but he dropped his bid for a casino there. Wynn recently won a bid for a casino near Boston.
Philadelphia already has one licensed gambling joint, the SugarHouse Casino on the Delaware River. However, Parx Casino and Harrah’s Chester Casino sit just outside the city.
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