Gamblers visiting four southeastern Pennsylvania casinos already leave behind well more than a billion dollars a year ordinarily at slots, blackjack, and other games, and the big question starting Tuesday afternoon is how they’ll take to a fifth option — especially now in the COVID era.
The Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia opens at 4 p.m. as the first shiny, full-sized casino added to Pennsylvania’s gaming industry since the debut of its nearest competitor, Rivers Philadelphia, a decade ago.
The 2,100-slot machine property in the city’s Stadium District will operate for its first few weeks on a controlled reservation or invitation-only basis, but after 8 p.m. on Feb. 11, the doors will be open to anyone at any time.
That is when The Cordish Companies, the Baltimore-based private firm that lavished $700 million on the project, will begin finding out if the investment was worth it. It is also when competitors in a market that already provides ample gambling opportunities will start to learn how Live! impacts them.