"Having three [casinos] in the region - Harrah's Chester, Parx, and SugarHouse - will provide that critical mass, like what you have in Atlantic City or Las Vegas," she said. "People who like to game like to go from one to the other. It's a pretty straight shot up and down the I-95 corridor."
But SugarHouse faces stiff regional competition.
There are 11 casinos in Atlantic City, just 60 miles away. Parx is 15 miles north on I-95, and Harrah's Chester Casino & Racetrack 15 miles to the south. Both casinos have consistently ranked as the top two grossing venues in the state. The Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem is an hour's drive away.
"With respect to SugarHouse, for a number of people, it will have a convenience aspect," said Bob Green, chairman of Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment Inc., which owns Parx. "At the same time, they will have challenges because of traffic and parking issues that we don't have."
And if Rivers' first-year performance is any indication, a fancy casino on prime waterfront land isn't necessarily a slam-dunk.
The Pittsburgh casino, which celebrated its one-year anniversary Aug. 9, projected $427 million in gross slots revenue during its first 12 months of operation. It took in $217 million.
Still, "it's nice to be the first" in the city, said Hamilton, who was hired away from Parx. "You feel like you're part of something really special."
Contact staff writer Suzette Parmley at 215-854-2594 or sparmley@phillynews.com.
