Report: Casino magnate Steve Wynn rolls the dice on another Philly casino

Casino magnate Steve Wynn apparently wants a second shot at a Philadelphia casino.

The gaming mogul and head of Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts is proposing a casino and hotel on a large parcel in Fishtown, just minutes away from SugarHouse Casino, the city’s only casino, Wynn confirmed to the Inquirer. He plans to submit an application to the state Gaming Control Board for the city’s second casino license by the Nov. 15 deadline.

Wynn has an option for about 60 acres of waterfront land on North Beach Street owned by builder James Anderson, according to the report. The project would include a 150,000 square foot casino with 900 to 1,000 slot machines and 100 table games. It would also feature a 300-room hotel called “Wynn Philadelphia” that would resemble its Encore hotel in Macau.

“It’s such a perfect site,” Wynn said. “It allows for the kind of growth and the creation of a destination resort that these local casinos haven’t done before.”

According to the Inquirer, Wynn will submit a local impact report to the city Commerce Department today, a requirement of the application.

This would be Wynn’s second attempt at a Philadelphia gaming hall. In 2010, he abruptly pulled out of the stalled Foxwoods project only two months after stepping in to revive it.

Two other groups have already submitted applications for the city’s second casino. Developer Bart Blatstein has proposed a casino and resort on North Broad Street, and the operator of Bensalem’s Parx Casino is partnering with The Cordish Co. on a proposed project near the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.