The Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee held a hearing at City Hall this morning to discuss a bill which would allow the auctioning of Category 2 slot-machine casino licenses.
If passed, House Bill 65, which was referred to the Gaming Oversight Committee on Jan. 24, would allow the bidders to choose locations across the state.
The bill would allow for two licenses, currently revoked, to be put up for auction, one of which is the the revoked license of the former Foxwoods Casino, though it is currently under appeal.
But, Dan Hajdo, board member and a spokesperson for Casino-free Philadelphia, said Philadelphia is still a potential spot for the licenses.
Hajdo said his organization chose not to testify at the hearing because the bill “doesn’t do anything to prevent a new casino in Philadelphia.”
“It doesn’t do anything to help the people of Philadelphia,” Hajdo said. “We think any real change is going to come from the community.”
“Casinos are destructive...for gambling addicts, their families and communities,” Hajdo added. “The state should not be supporting their spread, they should be protecting [the] citizens.”
