Blatstein’s Provence is one of four casino proposals hoping to land a casino license in the city. The other three are the Goldenberg Group’s Market8, PHL Local Gaming LLC’s Casino Revolution and the Live! Philadelphia joint bid by Cordish Cos. and Greenwood Gaming. But while they continue to wait for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to come to a decision, Blatstein has become increasingly perturbed that no decision has been made yet.
“The frustration comes from I think there are forces trying to keep the other casino license from going out and that is the frustration,” Blatstein told NewsWorks. “I do believe there is a lobbyist being paid to kill the license.”
While Blatstein remains committed in developing Provence, he also shot down skeptics who think he’s biting off more than he could chew after agreeing to a deal to buy the Pier Shops at Caesars in Atlantic City. “They are distinct and separate from each other,” he added. “The Provence, we’re 100% for and into the Provence and we we’re hopeful that we will be the victors with that.”
Over in Nevada, MGM Resorts International has agreed to sell the Gold Strike Casino in Jean, Nevada to casino and slots operator JETT Gaming. The sale comes a month after MGM sold another one of its small casinos, the Railroad Pass Casino in Henderson, Nevada.
MGM Resorts Chief Financial Officer Dan D’Arrigo told the Las Vegas Review Journal that it got rid of the casino as part of the company’s plan to “review and refine” its portfolio of properties and “focus on new developments in international and regional markets”. In other words, MGM Resorts is trying to wash its hands of business it can do without so it has more capital to use in pursuing more lucrative projects overseas.
The transaction still needs the approval from Nevada gaming regulators but it is expected to push through without a hitch. At the very least, it’s going to have a capable new owner in its hands. JETT Gaming is owned by Terrible Herbst, a company that already operates slot machines in 131 locations throughout the state of Nevada.
“We are pleased with the opportunity to purchase Gold Strike and the surrounding property,” JETT Gaming and Jean Ventures Manager Tim Herbst said in a statement. “We will continue to evaluate our plans for the site as we work diligently to get this transaction completed.”
The prospective new owners have not yet announced its plans for the casino.
