Slots boost horse racing
Slot machines at the Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack in Chester, and PhiladelphiaPark Casino and Racetrack in Bensalem are encouraging local residents to attend horse races.
The two fledgling Pennsylvania casinos are proving incredibly popular with tri-county residents who have spent decades crossing into New Jersey in order to play slot machines.
According to the Cherry Hill Courier Post, residents can now hop across the Delaware River to the casinos, which have been open for a few months, reducing the amount of time the have to spend driving and the amount of gas they use.
The Harrah’s casino and racetrack features 2,700 machines and PhiladelphiaPark has a further 2,200, including both poker and blackjack videogames, as well as bars, live entertainment, buffets, valet parking and restaurants.
Dubbed ‘racinos’, the new developments feature slot machines and horse racing facilities, as table games, such as poker and blackjack, are banned by state law.
Meanwhile, plans for two casinos along the waterfront in Philadelphia have run into problems with the City Council, which is planning to hold a referendum that could scupper the developments.