Casinos

Planning Commission approves Sugarhouse expansion plan over objections form riverfront advocacy group
POSTED: Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 1:32 PM
Filed Under: Casinos | News

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Planning Commission approved parts of Sugarhouse Casino's expansion plan, including the building of a parking garage, over the objections of a riverfront advocacy group, which says the plan doesn't fit with the city's master vision for the riverfront.

(Sugarhouse also claims it will build a hotel — but there's some reason to doubt that; Sugarhouse, one of a wave of "convenience casinos," doesn't exactly attract the Atlantic City crowd.)

In a letter to the Planning Commission, the Central Delaware Advocacy Group wrote that:

CDAG believes that this city council bill and the proposed expansion of the Sugarhouse Casino are
contrary to the public good and the intention of the Civic Vision for the Central Delaware.  We feel it is a
dangerous precedent and misses an opportunity to influence and change the design to be consistent with
the goals of the Central Delaware Waterfront Master Plan. 

Among their concerns were the parking garage's blocking a view of the river, preventing access to "secondary uses" of the site like a bike / pedestrian path, and the lack of a plan for stormwater management and "re-naturing" the riverfront.

Of course, the most significant part of Sugarhouse's expansion might be the expansion of gambling itself: the garage will "include additional slot machines and table games on the ground floor," reports Plan Philly — for a much more detailed account of the meeting, check out their coverage here.

 

 

Posted by Isaiah Thompson @ 1:32 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Sugarhouse Casino workers announce intention to unionize
POSTED: Friday, August 5, 2011, 1:59 PM
Filed Under: Casinos | News

This morning, a coalition of religious leaders and unions arrived at Sugarhouse headquarters to deliver a letter informing management of a number of workers' intent to become or join a union, expressing their support and asking that Sugarhouse not intimidate or retaliate against the organizing employees.

Unions present: Unite Here!, Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (these unions represent casino workers at Harrah's, Chester and many casinos in Atlantic City).

Religious leaders present: Rev. Robert Shine, of Berachah Baptist Church; Rev. Darrell Cook of Prince of Peace Baptist Church; Bishop Dwayne Royster of Living Water United Church of Christ; and Rev. Robert Shipman of Prince of Peace Baptist Church.

The group presented the following letter to Sugarhouse communications director Leigh Whitaker:

We represent a network of clergy and congregations across Philadelphia.  Today we stand beside the workers at SugarHouse Casino as they demand the company respect their signatures and agree to a fair process whereby they may organize a union freely and without management intimidation or retaliation.

We expect you to instruct your managers to obey Federal law regarding the right to organize a union. Let it be known that if any of our sisters’ or brothers’ rights are violated there will be repercussions from the community.

Workers are organizing to hold SugarHouse to its promise of good, family-supporting jobs and to secure respect for themselves, their coworkers, and families. 

Today, August 5, 2011, workers are publicly announcing their organizing campaign.  The signatures below are the founding members of the SugarHouse Casino Organizing Committee.  We have delivered a copy of this letter to the Philadelphia office of the National Labor Relations Board.

Inside the casino, CP observed a small number of casino employees — the only ones we saw were working as cashiers — wearing "Unite Here!" buttons.

What wil happen next isn't clear: The workers could file for an election with the National Labor Relations Board, but that process would likely take months, if not longer. They could also ask Sugarhouse to extend voluntary recognition.

Communications Director Leigh Whitaker, who received the group at Sugarhouse offices (manager Wendy Hamilton was out today), told the group that "We don't intimidate or retaliate against our employees," but had no immediate comment for CP on the surprise visit except to say that "We're on notice now."

Posted by Isaiah Thompson @ 1:59 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Breaking: faith leaders inform SugarHouse management of casino workers organizing effort
POSTED: Friday, August 5, 2011, 12:05 PM
Filed Under: Casinos | News

Four Philadelphia faith leaders just delivered a letter to SugarHouse manager Wendy Hamilton informing her that casino workers are organizing, expressing their support for the effort and asking SugarHouse not to "intimidate or retaliate against" employees organizing, as Reverend Robert Shine put it.

Follow me on twitter for live updates: @isaiah_thompson

Posted by Isaiah Thompson @ 12:05 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Philadelphia casino employees aren't unionized — but what if they were?
POSTED: Thursday, August 4, 2011, 3:30 PM
Filed Under: Casinos | News

Philadelphia casino employees aren't unionized: But what if they were? It's a question that hasn't come up in discussions over the performance of Sugarhouse Casino — which brought in far less than expected in its first year — or whether or not Philadelphia should (or will be forced to anyway) host a second casino.

Yet many other casinos in the region are unionized — partially, at least. A portion of workers at Harrah's Chester, for example, belong to Unite Here!, and Atlantic City casino employees belong to several unions, including Unite Here Local 54, which staged a thousands-strong protest of pay cuts just a few days ago. 

Philly hasn't seen any public effort to unionize casino workers — not yet, anyway; but whether that could change is a question worth asking.

Certainly, it's been a serious consideration for the casinos themselves.

A Harrah's study titled "Building Excitement for Opening Day: A Case Study in Employee Engagement at Harrah's Entertainment" contains this tidbit:

The objectives were clear: 1) Hire 600 dealers in 120 days who were more upbeat and positive than any dealers in history and 2) Create a fun environment that celebrated the dealers’ energy, while training them on the functional skills they needed to succeed and 3) foster ongoing dialogue and feedback to avoid unionization.

And a 2009 Harrah's prospectus filed with the SEC mentions the following:

Some of our employees are represented by labor unions. A lengthy strike or other work stoppage at one of our casino properties or construction projects could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. From time to time, we have also experienced attempts to unionize certain of our non–union employees. While these efforts have achieved only limited success to date, we cannot provide any assurance that we will not experience additional and more successful union activity in the future. There has been a trend towards unionization for employees in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. For example, certain dealers, slot technicians and security guards at certain of our Atlantic City properties have voted to be represented by the United Auto Workers and the International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America, respectively.

Posted by Isaiah Thompson @ 3:30 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Where were all the anti-casino folks at today's SugarHouse hearing?
POSTED: Thursday, June 16, 2011, 6:37 PM
Filed Under: Casinos | State Politics

If you were hoping for a proverbial dustup at today's SugarHouse hearing — between pro- and anti-casino advocates, between arguments for "economic development" and against "predatory gambling" — then you were sorely disappointed. Of the more than 20 people who signed up to testify, only one person spoke out against the renewal of the casino's license.

Local and state officials, business owners and community members came out in strong support for SugarHouse. Maggie O'Brien, president of the pro-casino community group Fishtown Action, said the casino "sparkles" and that the land it sits on "was once an eyesore ... [and] has been transformed." Capt. Michael Cram of the 26th Police District said crime at SugarHouse is "not even an issue." Planning Commission chairman Alan Greenberger said the city is in "full support" of both the casino's license renewal as well as its planned expansion.

Paul Boni, a board member of Stop Predatory Gambling, provided the sole anti-casino voice at the hearing: He opposed the renewal of the casino's license because, among other things, he said SugarHouse profits from gambling addicts and takes money away from local businesses. He also noted, in regards to the beefed-up police presence at the casino, "That is a significant law enforcement investment that the taxpayers are shouldering. No one has asked the question, so I’ll ask it: What is that costing?"

So ... where were all the anti-casino folks at today's SugarHouse hearing?

Casino-Free Philadelphia's Dan Hajdo, who City Paper reached by phone, says, "We didn't attend because as the grand jury report confirmed, the [Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board] is really just there to support the industry. So any kind of action on our part is really a waste of time."

Hajdo bluntly adds: "The only reason they would deny anyone a license is because they don't have the right political connections."

Gaming Control Board spokesman Richard McGarvey says that the agency has not denied any license renewal applications in its history. He said that five renewals, including SugarHouse's, are currently being sought.

Posted by Holly Otterbein @ 6:37 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Pa. Gaming Control Board member says SugarHouse's diversity numbers "very disappointing"
POSTED: Thursday, June 16, 2011, 4:03 PM
Filed Under: Casinos | Women's Issues

At today's hearing on the renewal of SugarHouse's license, Kenneth Trujillo, a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board member, called the casino's relative lack of diversity among its employees and suppliers "very disappointing."

Only 7.8 percent of SugarHouse's budget spent on suppliers went to minority- or women-owned businesses in the first quarter of 2011. Out of SugarHouse's 1,008 jobs, 36 percent are held by women and 33 percent by minorities. Trujillo wonered how this could be in a city that is mostly comprised of minorities, not whites, and which also has more women than men.

The minority and women representation "seems like it's off," Trujillo said.

When Trujillo asked Planning Commission chairman Alan Greenberger if the city was doing anything to make SugarHouse more diverse, he said, "We're aware of these lower numbers" and suggested that they could improve in the future.

Joe Martin, SugarHouse's director of procurement and supplier diversity, said SugarHouse has reached out to groups like the African American Chamber of Commerce and Women's Business Enterprise National Council, and will continue to do so. He added that improving diversity is "pretty much a passion of mine."

SugarHouse spokeswoman Leigh Whitaker said, "Our statistics are much more favorable than any company I've worked for." She added that of SugarHouse's eight vice presidents, six were women and one was a minority.

Trujillo also asked for data on the percentage of minority- and women-owned businesses that provide professional services to SugarHouse, like consulting or legal services, as well the percentage of the casino's upper-level positions that are filled by women and minorities. Whitaker said she would provide that data to the Gaming Control Board at a later time.

Posted by Holly Otterbein @ 4:03 PM  Permalink | 2 comments

Grand Jury releases scathing critique of Pa Gaming Board

POSTED: Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 1:01 PM
Filed Under: Casinos | News

We haven't remotely had time to digest this yet, but a Pennsylvania Grand Jury just released a hundred-page, scathing report on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

In its introduction, the report says (among other things) that the PGCB "failed to thoroughly protect the public from unlawful gaming practices," and "otherwise engaged in activities which eroded, at a minimum, this Grand Jury's confidence in the system."

You can get the report here (sorry, it's a Scribd site; we'll post the .pdf as soon as possible).

Posted by Isaiah Thompson @ 1:01 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

No increase in crime at SugarHouse?
POSTED: Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 3:43 PM
Filed Under: Casinos
(Don Haring Jr.)

CBS Philly reported today that Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey says that the opening of SugarHouse Casino has not led to an increase of crime in that area.

At a City Council hearing, CBS reports that Ramsey said, "We’ve not seen a significant spike. ... There’ve been some car break-ins, there’ve been some robberies that have taken place that obviously made the paper. ... But it actually has not been as bad as we thought it would be initially."

In March, however, City Paper found that there had been 170 reports of crime at SugarHouse since opening day, according to state and city data.

This isn't the first time city officials have said that crime isn't a problem at SugarHouse. Planning Commission chairman Alan Greenberger told a House committee earlier this year, "There have been no serious [crime] issues at all [at] the SugarHouse Casino." Greenberger later told City Paper that he based that information on what police have told him.

Indeed, police have maintained that crime hasn't went up in the area since SugarHouse opened.

"Most of that is ... not violent crime," said 26th District Captain Michael Cram in March, responding to CP's findings. "Remember, that business is open 24 hours a day."

Posted by Holly Otterbein @ 3:43 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Bill proposes to auction off revoked casino licenses - but could a casino come back to Philly anyway?
POSTED: Thursday, February 24, 2011, 9:33 PM
Filed Under: Casinos | News | The CLOG

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.”

Posted by Angelo Fichera @ 9:33 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

60 Minutes asks whether casinos are creating, and not diverting, patrons.
POSTED: Monday, January 10, 2011, 9:16 PM
Filed Under: Casinos | Media | News

A piece on 60 Minutes this weekend asked a question that the gambling industry — and the many politicians who've allowed the proliferation of local, so-called "convenience" casinos — aren't eager to address: do these casinos merely attract gamblers who would spend their money out-of-state anyway, or do they create new gamblers?

At one point in the film, Governor Rendell loses his temper at interviewer Lesley Stahl, calling her and her producers "simpletons," and "idiots," for not understanding his point that casino patrons are going to gamble anyway:

"The biggest downside is that some people lose their paychecks. But understand, Lesley, they're not losing their paychecks because Pennsylvania instituted gaming. These people were losing their paychecks in Atlantic City, in Delaware at the racetracks, or in West Virginia."

But there's evidence to the contrary.

A 1999 report by the federally-mandated National Gambling Impact Study Commission noted that survey data "found that the
presence of a gambling facility within 50 miles roughly doubles the prevalence of problem and pathological gamblers."

It also cited a survey that found 7 or 9 communities reported a rise in problem and pathological gambling after a casino was introduced nearby.

In 2005, the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions found, according to an article in Science Daily, that:

A Casino within 10 miles of home has a significant effect on problem gambling and is associated with a 90 percent increase in the odds of being a pathological or problem gambler,

But some of the most compelling evidence this might be true is on display right now — just visit your local casino. During CP's 24-hour stay at Sugarhouse, for example, we found no shortage of people who had come from just miles away. One cab driver estimated that "I would say 90 percent of the people I take live less than eight blocks away."

Would all of those people have gone all the way Atlantic City instead — or would all of them have sought out illegal slots dens?


Helen Gym
Posted 2011-01-11 16:29:10
These are the critical questions and the ones that 60 Minutes demanded answers to in a way that hasn't been significantly tackled in the national mainstream media. Locally calls to the state's gambling addiction hotline have tripled. Meanwhile, crime certainly hasn't gone down. And for all the hoopla around revenues, PA faces its largest deficit in a decade. One has to wonder whether the state's reliance on gambling (its second highest revenue generator) might have something to do with that deficit and the failure to seek other revenue options (natural gas drilling tax perhaps?).

At the end of the day, gambling as policy is economically and socially regressive (hitting the poor far more than the wealthy, ravaging other revenue, etc.) as well as morally bankrupt in terms of the fostering of addiction and poverty. It's a sad legacy for this Governor to leave.

Lastest Flip Video 60 Minutes auctions | Camcorders Optical Zoom
Posted 2011-01-13 14:34:06
[...] 60 Minutes &#1072&#1109k&#1109 whether casinos &#1072r&#1077 &#1089r&#1077&#1072t&#1110&#1495&#609, ... [...]

Jen
Posted 2011-01-13 15:03:54
"It [gaming] is the child of avarice, the brother of iniquity, and the father of mischief."

George Washington
Posted by Isaiah Thompson @ 9:16 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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