Sugarhouse casino officials say construction should take about two years now that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has approved a revised plan to expand their waterfront casino.Sugarhouse’s original plan was approved even before it opened, but the expansion was held up for years by litigation.The original plan called for a ten-story parking garage, but Sugarhouse general manager Wendy Hamilton says the casino now will build a seven-story parking tower instead.
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Archive for “Casinos” news
Regulators Approve Sugarhouse Casino Expansion
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
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CBS Philly reports:
The expansion is expected to generate up to 450 new casino jobs.
More Hearings Planned For Proposed Philly Casino
By Joel Mathis 4/16/2013
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6ABC reports the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has added a another day of public hearings as it considers which of a half-dozen proposals it might clear to become Philadelphia's next utopia of "gaming." "The board held two days of hearings on the applications last week and another public hearing was scheduled for May 8 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Now, the gaming board says it's also going to take public comment on the morning of May 9, also at Lincoln Financial Field, because the other day had already filled up with people wanting to speak." You can register here
Feeling Left Out of Casino Debate, Sugarhouse Wants Cooler Stuff
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 4/12/2013
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With all the casino attention going to Bart Blatstein, Steve Wynn, and the other high-rollers presenting at the Convention Center this week, Philly's own Sugarhouse is feeling a big left out. So they've asked the state Gaming Control Board to approve: "shorter parking garage, more food and beverage outlets facing the riverfront, an expanded promenade, and a new bike trail." And they're asking for a better Yelp rating too. [Inquirer]
What Happened at Day One of the Casino Hearings
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 4/12/2013
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Yesterday, during the first day of public hearings over Philadelphia's second gaming license each of the six applicants appeared to have brought along their own distinct fan base.
The Inky breaks down the scene at the Convention Center:
"Employees of Joseph Procacci, the South Philadelphia produce wholesaler and lead investor behind Casino Revolution proposed for Pattison Avenue at Front Street, packed the audience with matching T-shirts and baseball caps."
"Fans of developer Bart Blatstein, sponsor of the Provence casino, hotel and entertainment center proposed for North Broad Street, hailed him for a track record in turning around depressed neighborhoods."
"Ken Goldenberg, the developer behind
Revel Finally Went Bankrupt. What’s Next For A.C.?
By Joel Mathis 3/26/2013
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It finally happened—"finally" being a weird word to describe the bankruptcy of a casino that's less than a year old, perhaps, but not when that bankruptcy has been so clearly pre-ordained since the beginning: Revel is bankrupt, filing late Monday for Chapter 11 protection that will let it reduce its debt to a mere $272 million, down from the eye-popping $1.5 billion (!!!!) it now owes. But there are several questions that need to be answered, nonetheless:
• Is this the death of Atlantic City as we know it? An alarmist question, perhaps, but gambling has been on the decline in
NCAA Lifts Ban on Tournament Games in New Jersey
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 3/07/2013
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Last fall, following a New Jersey bill that legalized sports gambling in limited areas, the NCAA banned the state's college sports teams from hosting tournament games there, as punishment. (The legislation forbade betting on local teams, but no matter.) Which explains why undefeated women's basketball squad Montclair State (29-0) recently played the first two games of its Division III tournament in Pennsylvania, rather than at home. (The Red Hawks won both.)
Yesterday, a week after a judge ruled against New Jersey's law (banning sports betting indefinitely), the NCAA followed suit and lifted the ban. The ruling means not only will schools
Was This Weekend’s Atlantic City Robbery an Inside Job?
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 3/04/2013
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Ah, the bad old days appear to be back. A man reportedly walks into a casino with a mask over his face, and pulls off a robbery at gunpoint.
The suspect knocked on the rear door of the restaurant and told the manager he was with “Bally’s security.” When the manager opened the door, the suspect placed a handgun against her forehead and told her he would shoot her if she didn’t cooperate. The suspect ordered the manager to open the safe and had her place money into deposit bags, which he placed into a backpack.
Only afterwards do investigators begin to
Man Steals $55,000 From Parx Casino, Promptly Returns it
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 2/20/2013
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A man stole $55,000 in blackjack chips from Parx Tuesday afternoon, before turning himself in shame-faced just a couple hours later. Likely after realizing that sitting at home with a bunch of chips doesn't buy you much. And that trying to cash them in at a facility wired with surveillance cameras isn't going to do much good either. For a casino that markets itself to the suburban dad crowd, this sort of goofy, not-quite-glamorous heist seems right up Parx's alley. [Philly.com]
But You Only Just Arrived! Revel Signals it’s Getting Ready to File for Bankruptcy
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 2/13/2013
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A.C.'s embattled Revel casino is giving off serious smoke signals that it's preparing to file for bankruptcy. The Wall Street Journal (paywalled, h/t Grub Street) reports that Revel has hired restructuring lawyers and bankers whose presence can only means one thing. Revel is currently $1.2 billion in debt and is likely trying to get ahead of the "prepackaged bankruptcy" it would try to convince its (angry) creditors to sign on to. [Grub Street]
Borgata Adds In-Room TV Gambling, Creating “Perfect Storm” of Vice
By Joel Mathis 2/12/2013
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Over in Atlantic City, the Borgata has decided to cater to those gamblers who come all the way to its hotel … but don't want to actually summon up the energy to leave their room in order to experience the high-stakes thrill of losing lots and lots of money to the house. CBS Philly reports: "A New Jersey casino says it will become the first casino in the United States to let hotel guests gamble from their rooms over the TV set. Atlantic City’s Borgata will offer its E-Casino to hotel guests starting Feb. 18. It lets guests with player’s cards set
