Pennsylvania Slot Machine License Contenders (Part III)

Mt. Airy is probably one of the smallest slot machine casino plans, and it seems to be centered on mostly lodging and the slot machines themselves. Their project is going to develop the whole Mt. Airy area, not just the slot machine casino. They are hoping to benefit the smaller businesses as well, not just the casino. Mt. Airy’s spokesman, Kevin Feeley says that they decided that the slot machine casino could help the whole area, not just the casino, and that “by design [they] chose not to compete with those attractions but to complement them.''

However, it will not bring in as many jobs or as much slot machine revenue as the other plans. However, they have been chosen as a front runner to receive the slot machine license – along with Bethlehem. The owner, Louis DeNaples, does a lot for the town, and has pledged to build a hotel there whether or not he gets the slot machine license, and that makes a lot of people lean toward his group.

The slot machine casino would be located in Paradise Township where the old Mount Airy Resort used to be. The site was chosen because of their name recognition; however that also puts the slot machines right by the Pocono Mountain School. The slot machine casino would be run by a group of gaming executives that already have quite a bit of experience in the gaming industry, and would be led by Paul Henderson. Henderson used to be the president and COO of Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City Hilton, and Trump Marina Hotel and Casino.

But like all things, there are some problems – in this case with the application. DeNaples’ slot machine application showed a 1978 felony conviction for submitted invoices to the federal government after the Hurricane Agnes flood that were fraudulent. Then the government linked him to the head of the Bufalino family in Northeastern PA, but he was never charged with any crimes due to that link. Since the slot machine license only covers convictions within the past fifteen years, they were not relevant.

DeNaples is planning on a $412 million project that would have a golf course, a hotel, a nightclub, retail space, and of course slot machines.

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