Carlisle Residents Say ‘No’ to Mini-Casino, Parx Owner to Pursue New Opportunities

Officials for Carlisle, a borough located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, said Thursday that a vote to a mini-casino wouldn’t occur as there was no vast majority support for the transfer.

Carlisle was eyed by Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment as the possible home to some mini-casino with gaming machines. It’s emerged as the winning bidder to get a satellite match within a 30-mile diameter constituting specifically between Carlisle and Chambersburg. Carlisle has been Greenwood’s first alternative after it paid $8.1 million for its bid to extend its operations as part of a larger statewide gaming expansion that was approved by Pennsylvania state lawmakers and signed by Gov. Tom Wolf last fall.

The business has previously revealed that a recently vacated store at Carlisle Plaza was one of the sites it had been reviewing as a possible home to its gaming place. Said store occupied that a 42,000-square-foot site that would have been easy to be remodeled into a mini-casino, Greenwood officials have pointed out.

The Parx Casino proprietor held a workshop meeting in Carlisle a week to present its vision for the gaming facility to residents and officials of the borough. The business said that a casino in Carlisle could produce around 250 total- and part-time projects and may generate annual earnings of approximately $1 million for the borough and Cumberland County.

Massive Opposition

While the claims for new jobs and additional earnings were received well by some residents, the vast majority of people living in the township and the region opposed Greenwood’s plan.

A number of arguments against the possible opening of a mini-casino in Carlisle were voiced through this Thursday’s council meeting. Approximately 70 residents attended it and most of them were opposed to the gaming expansion project.

There were attendees to voice concerns over increased gaming in the township and the impact that would have on the quality of existence. According to a resident of Carlisle, it needed to maintain a “non-garish feel” as that was what has been drawing folks to come.

As mentioned previously, there were few to the possibility for the accession of a casino to town’s landscape, asserting that people have already been gaming and that Carlisle could actually benefit from a dedicated facility.

A spokesperson for Greenwood said Thursday that the township “has been very fair” together with the company and supplied for comprehensive discussions of the matter and that the firm knew Carlisle’s decision and would now pursue other opportunities within the allowed radius.

While Carlisle officials may still call a vote to the prospective opening of a gaming venue, one isn’t likely to occur as the opportunities for overwhelming approval of such a job are too skinny.