PRESS RELEASE

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today unanimously voted to renew the Category 1 Racetrack Casino operator’s license of Harrah’s Chester Downs and Marina, LLC, operator of Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack in Delaware County.

The seven-member Board determined that Harrah’s Chester Downs and Marina, LLC had fulfilled the obligations under its previously approved casino operator’s license and therefore qualified to have its license renewed for an additional five-year period.

The decision to renew the license was based on a process utilized by the Board that enables both the operator and the public to provide information relevant to the renewal decision. A public input hearing was held on June 30^th of this year in the casino’s host municipality, the City of Chester, where personnel of Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack submitted exhibits and presented testimony on various aspects of the facility’s operation since its last license renewal was granted.  The public was also permitted to provide testimony about the casino and its impact in the community.

In reaching its decision, the Board also received information from local government officials, community groups and the PA State Police, along with the Gaming Control Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel, Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement, Office of Compulsive and Problem Gaming, and Bureau of Casino Compliance. 

Additionally, a public hearing was held in Harrisburg today to permit Board members to further question Harrah’s Chester Downs and Marina, LLC representatives about any remaining issues prior to voting on the renewal.

Since its opening in January 2007, Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack has generated $4.2 billion in gross revenue from the play of slot machines, table games, sports wagering and iGaming resulting in a return to the Commonwealth of approximately $2.37 billion in gaming tax revenue.  Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack currently operates 1,700 slot machines, 77 table games, Caesars retail and online sport wagering, Caesars online casino including the WSOP.com poker site, while currently employing nearly 700. 

A PowerPoint presentation provided at the meeting which includes more details on Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack is available on the Board’s web site, www.gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov, under the Board Meetings tab.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of gambling at 15 land-based casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports wagering, and Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) at qualified truck stops, along with the regulation of online fantasy sports contests.

The land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania consists of six racetrack (Category 1) casinos, five stand-alone (Category 2) casinos, two resort (Category 3) casinos and two mini-casinos (Category 4).  Casino expansion will continue over the next couple of years with the anticipated openings of up to three additional Category 4 casinos. A significant job generator in the Commonwealth, casinos and the other types of Board-regulated gaming is expected to generate over $1.8 billion in tax revenue during the 2021/2022 State Fiscal Year.

Additional information about both the PGCB’s gaming regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania’s gaming industry can be found at https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/. You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Doug Harbach or Richard McGarvey - (717) 346-8321

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