The 23rd of September, 2011, saw SugarHouse Casino celebrate its “Year Won” anniversary. A luncheon was organized for the community leaders and elected officials along with other invited guests. Highlights of the commemorative event included the recognition of the team and its neighbors and a look at what was in store for the Philadelphia casino.
Best place to work
SugarHouse’s first year has proved to be very successful. It was voted as the 2011’s “Best Places to Work,” an award which is presented annually by the Philadelphia Business Journal. The ranking lists the top 50 employers within the Delaware Valley and is based on worker scores.
SugarHouse employees completed a survey on the Internet. The questions focused on respect, effectiveness, benefits, and recognition along with other work-based areas. Due to its large number of employees, amounting to more than 1000, it already earned top place for being an “extra-large company.”
The General Manager of SugarHouse Casino, Wendy Hamilton, commented, “We’re so proud of our team at SugarHouse, and our successful first year can be attributed to their hard work and enthusiasm. Our team, in just one year, has made SugarHouse a leading entertainment destination.”
Generosity
Financially, SugarHouse has managed to bring in a lot of revenue for the city and the state. In terms of state tax, it generated approximately $53 million, over $6 million in local share assessment, around $18 million for the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund, and around $7.7 million for the Economic Development and Tourism Fund.
Part of the anniversary’s celebrations involved a donation of $500,000 being given to the Penn Treaty Special Services District (SSD). The original presentation date was set for October the 8th, making the check two weeks early. The total contribution to SDD from SugarHouse is now up to over $1 million.
The municipal authority, SDD was started in 2010. It provides security, services, maintenance, and planning for the Penn Treaty area in Philadelphia which surrounds the casino. Neighborhoods include Old Richmond, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, and South Kensington.
From the beginnings of SDD, SugarHouse has worked closely with the organization. The donated money has been used for a number of social projects, for instance, community improvement initiatives and parks.
SugarHouse has also helped a number of other community support organizations including the American Red Cross, Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center, the Philadelphia Police Department 26th District, Shalom, Inc, and the Philadelphia Mummers.
It has also been a sponsor for events within the city which include the Philadelphia Flower Show held every year in the city and the New Year Eve fireworks display.
Future expansion
At the luncheon as well as looking back at SugarHouse’s achievements, a lot of focus was put onto the future. There are plans to expand the casino, doubling it from 106,000 gross square feet to about 250,000 gross square feet. This expansion would increase investment into the casino to over $500 million but would also create an estimated 500 full- and part-time positions.