in_the_media

Pennsylvania politicians float new model for casino ownership

Media Outlet: 

WHYY/NewsWorks

While Pennsylvania gaming officials review applications to build Philadelphia's next casino, some politicians are floating an unprecedented idea. They'd like to see a nonprofit own two-thirds of the gaming hall with the expectation that it would help fund the city. But Temple historian Bryant Simon, an expert on gambling's impact in Atlantic City, has concerns about the proposal. "I can see why this is attractive to people, but it's exactly what casinos have started everywhere else," he said. "They seem like good ideas to…painlessly fund things. But as soon as they start losing money, what happens?"