Now that Pennsylvania gambling regulators have taken the right step in revoking the license for the long-delayed Foxwoods Casino on the Delaware River, it’s time for them to consider cutting the city’s losses altogether — by scrapping a second casino for Philadelphia.
Thousands of low-income Philadelphians scraping by from week to week don’t need yet another place to gamble away the rent money. SugarHouse Casino already is up and running on North Delaware Avenue, less than three miles from the Foxwoods site. Nearby Bensalem and Chester also offer slots and table games.
Along a waterfront that Mayor Nutter hopes to transform into a thriving residential, commercial and recreational district, one casino is more than enough. The Foxwoods site stands at an already traffic-clogged stretch of South Columbus Boulevard crowded with big-box retail, prompting Nutter bluntly to call it the “wrong site for Philadelphia.”
Even if smarter plans for the site could be floated — such as philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest’s idea to save the SS United States cruise ship by converting it to a casino — the tide seems to be ebbing for a second city casino.
After all, three major casino investors were unable to put a deal together to make the Foxwoods project fly, including gambling magnate Steve Wynn. Even at the eleventh hour, as the state Gaming Control Board was poised to decide Foxwoods’ fate, the project’s backers conceded they had yet to raise much of the money needed to build their gaming hall at the foot of Reed Street.
With the project backed by local influential businessmen like real estate developer Ron Rubin, South Jersey lawyer Lewis Katz, and Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider, outside investors had every reason to believe Foxwoods could put a good deal together.
Yet casinos in the gambling strongholds of Las Vegas and Atlantic City are facing tough times. So maybe Foxwoods’ problems in raising cash stemmed more from the financial markets having determined that another casino in the city simply was a bad bet. If that proves to be the case, then the gaming board rebidding the license won’t do much to improve the odds of success.
If ever a project deserved to have its license pulled, it was Foxwoods. The casino’s backers repeatedly blew one deadline after another to get their gaming hall going, while changing partners more often than square dancers.
Before Thursday’s decision, Foxwoods backers warned of dire consequences if their license was revoked: years-long legal appeals, and even the prospect that the state legislature would move the license elsewhere. But from the city’s perspective, either scenario could be good news, given problem gambling and other social ills stemming from casinos.
Delaying or scrubbing another casino in the city is a win-win.
Please stop crying over the people who willingly gamble away their money. The guilty party in this scenario is not the casino legally offering slots and card games - the guilt party is the person refusing help for their gambling addiction or choosing to spend their rent, tuition, grocery, etc. money at these facilities. It's a HUGE loss to the city and residents alike - the possible revenue that could have been generated could have had the potential to keep Philadelphia citizens from paying exorbitant amounts of money on taxes.— amd804
man you suck, you stupid bigot— zangtron
Zete, you are a dope.— mccarte1- I'm not for or against the casinos. But, if I hear one more person talk about how low-income people don't need another place to blow their money, I'm going to spit. What happened to personal responsibility? They have a choice like the rest of us! If you don't have the extra cash to gamble, then, here's a novel idea - DON'T GO! Sheesh.— PotteryPete
- Plans are in motion to bring a casino to Limerick Montgomery County.
Borgata owns 130 acres there and the state will modify the laws to move there now that this is a no go.— Bobbarkerismydad - I am glad that we have produced yet another Philadelphia specialty, NIMBY arranged barren jobless non-tax paying brownfields.— Economics
- Only the Inky editorial board is stupid enough to believe that people who gamble need a casino in which to do it! Reality is a completely foreign topic to today's "journalists."
Meanwhile, Philly has scared away more jobs and development.— joeingoal - Foxwoods doesn't have the money to build. There are many other companies that would build a casino in South Philly in a minute if the got the license. The city needs the taxes. The residents want a casino, as the success of Sugarhouse has proved. It's time for the anti casino people to go away.— sling
Who cares where people blow their money. If they would blow it in a casino they would blow it else ware. All mine seems to get blown on women. Maybe the government should ban dating.— KINGOFZED
Comment removed.- Chester is laughing their back sides off. They have suggested that Superintendent Ackerman select the General Contractor from her special list of vendors. The Board of Trustees should consist of Dwight Evans, the Tartaglione Family and all of the members of City Council. If more bodies are needed you could call on the School Reform Commission. If you don't want 'em to bet; then let them eat cake.— paulfromtheoblongtable
- poor state policy ... approve casinos to lower taxes ... thanks Rendell, you couldn't think of something else ... casinos are regressive ... they don't enrich the community at all ... and yet it is being foisted upon philadelphia ... we don't want nor need another casino— Marchus
- I am a New Yorker, a gambler by no sense of the word, but yet after reading this article I feel compelled to comment. Amd804 is so correct. The article also failed to mention the creation of the thousand's of job's the new casino could create, therefore reducing unemployment, revenue for surrounding business, reduction in crime, etc. The article is just another example of pure liberalism, taking the stand of the less fortunate instead of the less fortunte taking a stand for themselves and using the state's money as their crutch. I feel sorry for the people of Philadelphia. The countless opportunities they have been deprived is the crime!!— mish2764
- Comment removed.
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