Lots of action, again, this week at ECG. Plenty of which came from the east coast, which isn’t always the case. Hopefully Trump and Caesars get their air conditioning fixed in time for my next trip down south.
Harrah’s to the rescue in Philadelphia? Harrah’s is in discussion with Foxwoods to save the Philadelphia casino that Steve Wynn toyed with earlier this year.
Under Pennsylvania law Harrah’s could only own 33% stake in another casino since they already own Harrah’s Chester. What makes this a real possibility is that Harrah’s is owed $67 million for some of the land the casino sits on.
I’m not sure if more growth is good for Harrah’s, but this would certainly allow them to corner the market on the casino market in Philadelphia – a top 5 market in the country. Stiffs and Georges touches on some possible upset casino owners in the area.
I’m curious to see if this comes to fruition. The plan for the Foxwoods casino includes a hotel, which would up the stakes for the casinos outside of Atlantic City that lack hotels.
I’ve been struggling with a bout of writers block for much of the week so posts slowed down as the week went on. Hopefully that will change as we move into another week. Let’s take a look back at what I was able to cover.
Table games roll out next month in Pennsylvania and we’re beginning to get start dates.
Tests will begin July 6 in western Pennsylvania at Presque Isle Downs Casino in Erie, the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said inspectors will evaluate the test results the following day and then allow table games to go live at those casinos beginning July 8 if there are no glitches.
Tests will follow July 11 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs near Wilkes-Barre, Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono and the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Racecourse in Grantville. Assuming there are no problems, table games at those casinos could start July 13.
A final series of tests are scheduled July 16 at Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack, the Parx Casino in Bensalem and the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem. Those casinos could launch their table games on July 18 if the tests go well.
If any of Pennsylvania readers plan on visiting on of the table openings and would like to share thoughts, please feel free to send to eastcoastgambler(at)gmail(dot)com. I’d love to hear and share first hand experiences.
The big news this week is split between the World Cup and Wynn Las Vegas tacking a $20 resort fee on to their standard room rates. They must be ashamed about this because they’re hiding the fees in their terms and conditions and not clearly disclosing the fees. I have to think this is illegal. If so, this is a class action lawsuit waiting to happen.
Maybe things in Pennsylvania are looking better than expected as Sands Bethlehem is breaking ground (again) on the hotel they promised when the casino was first planned.
This is good news for Sands Bethlehem. While some of the original plans aren’t likely to go through at least the hotel will go up. That increases the odds of me visiting. I’m not much of a casino day tripper. See more at Stiffs and Georges.
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