{"id":20875,"date":"2018-01-05T09:02:37","date_gmt":"2018-01-05T17:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/?p=20875"},"modified":"2018-01-05T09:23:03","modified_gmt":"2018-01-05T17:23:03","slug":"pennsylvania-towns-shun-casinos-macao-mobbed-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/pennsylvania-towns-shun-casinos-macao-mobbed-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania towns shun casinos; Macao mobbed up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mini-casinos are as popular in Pennsylvania<\/strong> as an outbreak of typhus.\u00a0Some 936 towns have ixnayed the idea of hosting slot parlors<\/a> in their back yards. Extant casino operators will have to bid at least $7.5 million (and have a site in mind) to enter contention for the 10 licenses. But, reports Casino.org<\/em>, “With those 936 towns accounting for nearly 37 percent of Pennsylvania\u2019s 2,560 municipalities, and a stipulation that the satellites cannot be built within 25 linear miles of an existing gambling venue, the potential host location pool is now more of a puddle.” Philadelphia<\/strong> is ineligible, as are potentially lucrative Lancaster County<\/strong>, Gettysburg<\/strong> and State College<\/strong>. The current frontrunner is Reading<\/strong>, though we won’t know for another week who has bid upon it. Altoona<\/strong>, Williamsport<\/strong>, York<\/strong> and Lawrence County<\/strong> are close behind. One thing that might cool the ardor of potential bidders is the confiscatory 54% tax rate on slot revenues (table win is taxed at a more reasonable 14%). But, since they’re already paying that at their existing casinos, we don’t see why this should change their minds.<\/p>\n

* \u201cThe involvement of triad societies and organised crime in the gaming sector shows no sign of diminishing \u2013 rather, it is institutionalised.\u201d That’s the sobering conclusion of a Steve Vickers & Associates<\/strong> report on casino security in Macao<\/strong>. The document also found the enclave’s gambling dens to be “vulnerable to terrorist attack despite recent efforts to improve readiness.” Triad infiltration is made possible by the failure of Macao authorities to vet sub-agents for junket operators. Thus, notorious triad figure “Broken Tooth” Koi<\/strong> has been able to get into the junket business. The government’s response to such developments has been to stick its head in the sand<\/a>, Wrote Vickers, a former commander in the Royal Hong Kong Police<\/strong>‘s criminal intelligence bureau,\u00a0\u201cWe were well and truly pilloried for raising the terror issue. I don\u2019t really understand why, especially given that Macau doesn\u2019t operate in a vacuum and is open to the world. External threats are always possible.\u201d At least he finds some slim comfort in a simulated terrorism drill that will be held early next year.<\/p>\n