The gaming board in the state of Pennsylvania has postponed until November a decision regarding whether to revoke the license of a planned casino in South Philadelphia. The decision is put on hold unto November 18th after the Foxwoods Casino investors worked out a deal with Harrah’s Entertainment.
This riverfront project has been put on hold before as it has had some financial difficulties to work through as well as a good deal of opposition coming from neighborhood groups. In fact, the troubled casino project has had more than its share of problems getting off the ground since being approved for two gambling licenses in 2006. However, other casino licensees beat the odds over similar problems in the past, so we’ll have to wait this one out to see how it ends up.
Proponents are saying that a casino would give South Philly new hope with hundreds or thousands of new jobs being created in a city plagued by high unemployment. Naysayers are worried that people will become addicted to gambling which will create a new set of problems for city and county officials to deal with.
