Philadelphia becomes largest U.S. city with a casino as gaming grows

USA Today reports:

Philadelphia took the title of largest U.S. city with a casino when Pennsylvania's 10th gambling hall opened this month despite years of community protests and delays.

SugarHouse Casino drew a raucous crowd of well over a thousand people last week to the Delaware River waterfront. They waited in the heat for more than an hour, some chanting "Let us in," before the doors opened and they got a chance to play among the 1,600 slot machines and 40 table games.

"SugarHouse is the place to be in Philadelphia," general manager Wendy Hamilton said.

Lawmakers and officials, in brief remarks before the opening, praised the creation of about 900 jobs and other economic benefits that came with the project. The business pushes Philadelphia (population 1.55 million) past Detroit (population 910,000) to become the nation's largest city with casino gambling.