Marketing Phila. as a Gambling Destination

The rise of casinos in our area has raised the stakes in Philadelphia's quest for the tourist dollar.

KYW's Paul Kurtz reports that while construction continues over at Sugarhouse, workers in Center City have also been busy adding a new wing to the Pennsylvania Convention Center:  more tourists, more revenue opportunity for the city.

Casinos can be an attractive lure, according to Jack Ferguson (above), executive VP of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau:

"The casinos are mentioned in our sales pitch as a feature which we hope to be a benefit to (convention) planners as to why come to Philadelphia."

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Ferguson  says the pitch is getting easier now that table games are here:

"The slots appeal to some people, but they don't appeal to everybody. You start to bring in true gaming and people find other forms of entertainment.  So I see it as a very, very good venue for us to have for entertainment."

Ferguson believes that the city will get an even bigger boost when Sugarhouse opens next month:

" All of a sudden Philadelphia now has a full-fledged casino with table gaming. That becomes a very important feature because a lot of the organizations that come in here are looking for things to do after the work hours. A fun night would be a great night going to a casino."

(Ferguson photo by KYW's Paul Kurtz)