Harrah's opposes 2nd casino in Philly

Here's a stunner: Harrah's in Chester does not think a second casino in Philadelphia is a good idea. In particular, it thinks a proposed location at the South Philly sports complex would be a particularly bad idea. You can read the details here. Not exactly shocking.

When they first opened, lured to Chester with a tax-free Keystone Opportunity Zone carrot, Harrah's had the field to itself. It started siphoning off gamblers who otherwise would head to casinos in Atlantic City or Delaware.

Now the shoe is on the other foot.

First Parx arrived at the racetrack in Bucks County. Then SugarHouse entered the market in Philly. Two other casinos popped up in Allentown and King of Prussia.

Harrah's slots business has been in decline for years.

Now they face the prospect of another casino just a stone's throw up I-95 at the sports complex in South Philly.

Harrah's Chester General Manager Ron Baumann made it clear where he stands after hearing about the possibility of a second city casino. “Overall Philadelphia gaming revenues have declined for two straight years, and adding another casino to the market simply doesn’t make sense,” Baumann said. “Another casino would threaten the viability of existing properties and have severe impacts on emp

loyees, their families and local communities including Chester, where our taxes compress about one-third of the city’s annual budget. “There already are five casinos within a 25-30 mile radius of this area and 16 within a one-and-a-half hour drive, and there is no evidence that we need another casino here,” he said. “We’ve seen what happened to Atlantic City when that market became saturated – four casinos ceased operations, a devastating development for that community and its citizens.” He's not alone.

State Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-159, who just happens to represent Chester, also is opposing the move.

And a citizens group in South Philly is planning a rally tonight to fight the proposal.

All of this for a plan that has not even been announced yet.

SugarHouse, which runs the city's only existing casino, also is opposed. Not exactly a surprise there either. The Gaming Control Board announced on Friday that they would make a ruling on the possibility of a second gaming license for Philadelphia on Nov. 18, next Tuesday.

Most believe they will grant the license to the South Philly site.

Expect this whole thing to wind up in court. "