Should Sugar House Add Table Games?

"You've provided a venue for the glorification of this predatory enterprise and I think you have abandoned your responsibility to the people of Pennsylvania and the people of Philadelphia," Andrea Price testified in front of the PA Gaming Control Board.

Andrea along with other members of Casino Free Philadelphia made remarks arguing the Board not grant the Sugar House Casino the right to operate table games at its Delaware River location in Fishtown. Among their reason were the negative economic impacts of more forms of gambling, the predatory lending practices that come with table games, increases in gambling addiction rates, and the targeting of poor and working people to support the industry.

Local politicians Darrell Clarke, Frank DiCicco, Larry Farnese, and Mayor Nutter submitted written testimony to the board urging them to allow table games. In each of their testimony they cited the economic situation and unemployment rate in the city as a reason to expand Sugar House Casino's operations.

Casino Free Philadelphia members however cited a recent study from a research fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia concluding that the economic benefits of expanding gambling are unclear, especially for Philadelphia. "The jobs picture is also uncertain... Moreover, without a more thorough analysis of the displacement effects of the casinos on non-casino business activity, it is impossible to determine whether the jobs created in the casinos will be offset by job losses elsewhere," Alan Mallach states in his report.

Fishtown community development corporations were also present. The head of the New Kensington CDC, Richard Levins, testified in support of the table game request. Fishtown area community groups, schools, and CDCs will receive at least $1 million upon the opening of the casino, and the distribution of hundreds of thousands thus far was a major point of the Sugar House presentation. Testimony from the Eastern PA Citizens Against Gambling challenged the purpose of this benefits agreement. "I object to the fact that any of the community groups mentioned have taken on a true responsibility for all the effort they may be doing to properly implement rewards or bribes. I don't believe that this is a representation of the people," stated James Schneller of Eastern PA Citizens Against Gambling.

The gaming boar has 60 days to issue a decision, and plans to do so at its next public meeting on May 25th.