Senate committee approves bill to "relocate" Phila. casino license

A mid-state lawmaker says if Philadelphia casino developers can't get their act together, the Gaming Control Board should give the license to someone willing to operate a casino elsewhere - say, Johnstown.

A Senate committee today in a 12-2 vote approved a proposal by John Wozniak, a Democrat who represents Johnstown, to "relocate" the casino license granted to the troubled Foxwoods Casino. "One of them just fell flat on its face," he told members of the Senate Community and Economic Development Committee. "It had fits and starts but never got off the ground. Now the clock has run out."

He said getting a casino up and running somewhere is a matter of fairness to property owners waiting for casino-revenue-related tax rebates. The original bill would have moved the license directly to Wozniak's district but it was amended to allow the Philadelphia license to be used anywhere.

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