Councilman wants slots at Philadelphia International Airport
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This undated photo shows some of the nearly 1,300 slot machines at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Las Vegas News Bureau,Darrin Bush)
A Philadelphia City Councilman wants to make the airport into a mini-casino. The revenue generated would go to city schools.
Councilman Jim Kenney says he thinks putting slot machines in Philadelphia International Airport would be a great way to raise money for education.
“We need new revenue sources for the school district. The state legislature has been reticent to pay anything with the word tax associated with it. 1300 machines at Las Vegas creates 27-30 million dollars a year. They get more visitors than we do but certainly the revenue would be significant.”
The general public would NOT be able to gamble at the airport under his plan.
“These are for people who are ticketed have been through security, are a captive audience waiting for planes and are bored sometimes.”
Kenney says the state would have to approve the proposal and another one he has for a special city only lottery to benefit the schools.
The Pennsylvania is currently deciding whether to award a second casino license in Philly. An airport location is NOT in the running.
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