Pequots bid for a Pennsylvania casino

[Waya]

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (MCT) - In the 17th century, ancestors of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation lost their position as the dominant culture along New England's Atlantic Coast.

Today, the Mashantucket Pequots - now owners of the world's largest casino - aim to secure a position along Philadelphia's Delaware riverfront to build a $560 million slots palace.

If Foxwoods Development Co. wins a license Dec. 20 to build on the 16.5-acre site on South Columbus Boulevard in South Philadelphia, its Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia will be the tribe's first gaming venture outside Connecticut - confirming it as a major player in the casino industry.

''It's certainly the next step for this tribe,'' Foxwoods CEO William Sherlock said in an interview in his office next to the sprawling casino in Connecticut. ''Philadelphia could be that first step for a plethora of projects throughout the United States.''

But Philadelphia presents some special challenges. Five companies are competing for two casino licenses in the city. And Foxwoods' plans are opposed by community groups fearing the impact of the big slots parlor on South Philadelphia.

For Foxwoods, the stakes are enormous.



More:
http://indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414159