Johnstown legislator says his district should get Philly’s second casino license

Kellie Patrick Gates

April 14, 2010

State Sen. John Wozniak thinks the state has wasted enough time on Philadelphia already, and the second casino license – the one that is supposed to result in Foxwoods casino – should be transferred to Cambria or Somerset county instead.

“The new casino would create construction jobs immediately, long term employment at the facility itself and boost economic activity and tourism in our region,” Wozniak said in a written statement earlier this week. “I am very confident that a casino built in the Cambria-Somerset area would be strongly supported by the business community and our residents, and would be very profitable and successful.

Wozniak said his part of the state would welcome the jobs and tourism dollars the casino could provide.

“This is also an issue of fairness since the Cambria-Johnstown area and the Laurel Mountain region is not currently being served by the gaming industry,” Wozniak said.

Foxwoods Casino is behind schedule, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said it was on the cusp of revoking the license when Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn stepped in. Together, Wynn and Foxwoods brought the project into compliance with PGCB deadlines in the past two weeks, turning in a financial agreement, renderings and site plans. But then last week, Wynn dropped out of the project.A Foxwoodsattorney says the project is still on, and they are looking for a new investor or institutional financing. More about the casino’s future could be revealed at the April 29 PBCB hearing.

See more coverage of Wozniak’s proposal here and here.

-Posted by Kellie Patrick Gates

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