Pennsylvania could approve 10 new satellite casinos

According to a report published by Penn Live website, some form of auction is being considered for the licensing process with a minimum bid of USD 10M, but no drafts of the proposal have yet been done.

But sources familiar with drafting discussions have noted for the past several weeks that central to the plan is creation of a market protection zone around each of the first-generation casinos built and opened over the last decade.

The lead version, at this point, is a 25-mile radius around each casino.

The idea is that for the satellite casinos to be true revenue generators for Pennsylvania, cannibalization of the state's 12 existing commercial casinos should be held to a minimum.

"The vast majority of the potential sites for these new casinos fall within our market area in Central Pennsylvania, representing a severe threat to our property and the more than 1,050 jobs it represents," Eric Schippers, Penn National's senior vice president for public affairs said in a recent statement to PennLive.

Many industry experts are concerned that by making long-term changes to solve a present budget issue, Pennsylvania risks hurting a casino industry that, at present, consistently generates more than $1.4 billion per year for the state.