The dice are rolling in Bethlehem
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
By: Tom MacDonald
tmacdonald@whyy.org
A new casino is open in Pennsylvania, and Atlantic City gaming houses fear it could siphon even more business from the struggling shore town.
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Sands Casino is on the grounds of the old Bethlehem Steel plant 15 miles from the New Jersey state line. Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan says the casino is a boon to the town, creating 1,000 new jobs.
Callahan: It's great benefits to the city of Bethlehem but it is really great benefits to the entire region.
The new casino could cause problems for Atlantic City, where revenue dropped more than 14 percent in April. Roger Gros is a casino expert who publishes Global Gaming business magazine.
Gros: Atlantic City has many challenges right now and the last thing it needs is more competition.
Gros says the New Jersey casinos will have to do more marketing to stop the decline.