Proposed casino in Gettysburg faces opposition among history lovers
Hundreds of academics and historians are opposing a proposed casino near the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield site.
A letter with 275 signatures has been sent to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which is considering issuing a casino license for that location.
The Civil War Preservation Trust wrote the letter, stating the nature of a casino near the battlefield would conflict with the meaning of Gettysburg’s place in American history. The Trust then circulated the letter for prominent academics to sign, including Princeton University’s James McPherson who won a Pulitzer for his history of the Civil War.
The casino proposed by Mason-Dixon Resort and Casino would not be built on the actual battlefield. It WOULD be less than a mile south of the southernmost portion.
An application for slots and table games, called a category 3 license, was submitted last April. Mason-Dixon spokesman David La Torre says the letter won’t change their argument.
“We won’t rebut a letter like this that doesn’t deserve a rebuttal,” he said. “What we will do though is make a case as to why we are the best category 3 applicant in Pennsylvania. We are the only category 3 applicant that is not in an over-saturated gaming market. We have the overwhelming support of local Adams County residents.”
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is currently reviewing five applicants for one gaming license. La Torre says a review hearing is expected to take place this fall.
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