PlanPhilly: Planning Philadelphia's Future

The Pennsylvania House's Gaming Oversight Committee will at 10 a.m. Thursday hold a public hearing on a bill that would open the gaming license that belonged to Foxwoods Casino up to a state-wide bid.

The hearing will be held in City Council Chambers, which is Room 400 in City Hall.

The bill, whose prime sponsor is Rep. Curt Schroeder, R-Chester County, states that after a license is revoked, it will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.  A category one license would have a minimum bid of $66.5 million.

The state gaming control board revoked the Foxwoods license, held by Philadelphia Entertainment Development Partners,  in December, despite a new partnership between PEDP and Caesars under which Caesars would have operated the casino under its Horseshoe brand. The gaming board said the partnership and financing agreements PEDP and Caesars presented were too little too late.

PEDP is appealing the decision via the courts.

The PEDP license was one of two based in Philadelphia. SugarHouse Casino is open at 1001 N. Delaware Avenue. PEDP would have opened further down the same street, at the intersection with Reed Street.