Also adjacent to the highway exit, tourists do not cross into any Chester downtown, residential or business districts to reach Harrah’s. However, Harrah’s Philadelphia is located on Chester’s waterfront, away from the city’s concentration of small businesses and amenities. The largest supposed contributor to local economic benefit is tourism. Other economic spillovers of the casino come from the nearby racetrack - another gambling option - and three restaurants. There have been no public projects for which tax revenue from the casino invested. Its operating revenue has been around $20 million per month.

Many advantages listed above do not qualify Chester for the casino’s economic benefits: Besides the undisclosed taxes paid from gambling, businesses located on the waterfront qualify for Chester’s business tax exemption for 13 years. Increased gambling: This is the largest and negative perceived social costs from casinos.Crime: Crime rates can spike near casinos.Increased community investment: from tax revenues and aforementioned benefits from casinos.Increased employment: casinos usually employ local residents.Tourism: casinos can bring people from distances away, and usually these tourists.

Entertainment: additional amenities and services from the casino, combined shopping center, theme parks.

But does Harrah’s benefit Chester?Īdvantages: a casino can bring its nearby community some much-needed revenue, based on a few key factors: was heavily criticized for allowing the business into the already economically down-trodden city of Chester. At the time the opening, Chester Mayor Wendall N. Chester’s Harrah’s Racino, a racetrack and casino, opened on January 22, 2007, and renamed Harrah’s Philadelphia in 2012.

Harrah's casino chester