If — as appears to be the case — a deal to have Harrah’s Entertainment take over the stalled Foxwoods casino project in Philadelphia is all but done, hopefully it will render the question moot as to whether the casino license should be offered elsewhere. The near-term effects of a Harrah’s rescue are reported to be a reduction in the $600 million budget and also a diminution in the amount of casino revenue being given away to charity. That last issue was the sticking point that ended Steve Wynn‘s involvement. Gary Loveman seems to have been more persuasive with prospective partners Ed Snider et. al. than was Wynn.
It’s too close to call as debate over Cordish Gaming‘s Maryland casino project goes down to the wire. Voters can strip the project of its zoning although that’s no guarantee that the project will automatically become the domain of Laurel Park raceway and co-owner Penn National Gaming. The latter would have to dispose of its suddenly inconvenient Perryville casino. It would also have to count on the State of Maryland to reward its (Penn’s) cynical gerrymandering with a replacement gaming contract. In an ironic disconnect, Cordish lobbyist and gubernatorial candidate Robert Ehrlich (obviously) supports keeping the license where it is — but his supporters don’t. Also, the electorate has cooled on expansion into table games — frustrated with the snail’s pace of casino development? — which some had been thought would be fast-tracked under Ehrlich.
