Study Favors Slot Sites Flanking Center City

The study projects annual revenue from the two parlors at between $668 million and $747 million. The most revenue, according to the study, would come from locating one parlor at the intersection of Interstate 76 and Route 1 and the other on the opposite side of the city along the Delaware riverfront.

Locating both in the Navy Yard would generate the least revenue, and just one there "would nearly double the volume of traffic that is currently in the already-overused road system for the sports complex and the existing and potential Navy Yard entrance points," the report states. As for locating two on Market Street in Center City, or one there with another at Penn's Landing, the study says a single parlor off Market Street East would add "an additional 74% of existing traffic volume to the Center City road system…a system that cannot be enlarged." It also cites insufficient parking capacity between the river and Broad Street.

Among other findings is an estimate that slot parlors and related spending will add between $11 million and $15 million to the city's annual tax receipts, but could cost the police department between $11 million and $16 million a year for a new patrol unit. It projects that overnight tourists could constitute as much as 12% of patrons drawn to the parlors, depending on their location, but more likely will represent between 4% to 12% of all patrons.

The estimated construction costs for each parlor, according to the report, is between $144 million and $177 million. The law allows up to 3,000 slot machines at each parlor from the start with the option of increasing the number at each to 5,000. The task force now begins work on a final report, which will not only include specific recommendations regarding parlor locations, but also contain design recommendations.

Among the companies that have already expressed interest in building and operating slot parlors here are the Trump Organization, and Las Vegas-based Harrah's Entertainment and Ameristar Casinos in addition to Wayne-based Capital Management Enterprises.