Pennsylvania Towns Join Casino License Battle
31 October 2005
PENNSYLVANIA – As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "…Developers and gambling interests in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia won't be the only ones fighting it out to secure lucrative state licenses to operate slot machine casinos.
"Potential operators in Gettysburg, the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos are expected to jockey for the rights to two other licenses to be awarded statewide by the state Gaming Control Board for casinos with up to 5,000 slot machines.
"Under the state law legalizing slots gambling, Pittsburgh will get one casino and Philadelphia two. But two other stand-alone casinos can be built elsewhere in the state.
"The competition has the potential to pit region against region, city against city, and maybe even resort against resort, as it relates to the Poconos.
"Adding to the intrigue is talk that Forest City Enterprises, the Cleveland developer that wants to build a casino at Station Square, also could have an interest in a license as part of a development in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County.
"So far, the early action for the two licenses has been concentrated in the central and eastern part of the state. At this point, no one from Western Pennsylvania has emerged as a contender for one…"