Opposition to Casino in Centre County

A casino would disrupt the established culture of State College.

There are many vulnerable young adults living here. I also fear an upsurge of sports gambling

I am opposed to casino

Not good for our community

It would make a lot more sense to create affordable housing at the Mall, than something that will contribute to poverty among those who can least afford it.

Let's bring health-promoting businesses to the area rather than businesses which promote activities that may lead to an increase in substance use and gambling disorders.

Let’s look to enhancing our community with a positive outlet instead- a roller rink, a bowling alley, an indoor playground, a Dave & Busters, so many other options.

I am opposed to the casino at Nittany Mall because of the negative impact on property values. In addition, a casino is not consistent with our community- based values. Casinos prey on the uneducated and lower income residents, lowering limited resources even further. This creates more hardship on the community that outweighs whatever tax benefits you are promising. It is an extractive industry and the toll is too high.

It is important to maintain a level of integrity in our community that our children and young adults recognize and can count on. This integrity would be eroded by a casino and the ensuing ripple effects.

Please do not allow a casino in the Centre Region.

The negative impact of a casino in our area would be much more substantial than a positive one. I can foresee a rise in gambling addiction, not to mention drunk driving in an area already so bad for it.

So many people who can least afford to, go to casinos. I am concerned about property values decreasing in the area.

For the benefit of our neighbors, our emergency workers, the students, and the addicts in our community, stop the casino.

I am very concerned about how the proposed casino will increase traffic late at night and affect the quality of our neighborhoods close to the mall.

A casino in this area would be a real detriment to property values. This is not a community based on gambling. It is based on education & family values.

My two cents, I went to college at Lehigh University before Sands casino came into town. My college experience was good and relatively safe in south Bethlehem, while I was at school there, but the student president had a gambling addition which he keep concealed, he lost a ton of money, and was desperate to pay it off, he ended up robbing a bank in town in attempt to pay off his gambling debt, and was caught and arrested. To say the least his gambling addiction had a negative impact on his life and the school's image. I feel adding the convenience of a casino in town would only amplify the dangers of gambling addictions in our town of State College. I went to the casino site near Lehigh later and the adjacent steel stacks park as part of American planning association meeting, and saw the steel stacks high line and beautiful art and music venue campus renovated from an old Bethlehem steel factory... the city of Bethlehem and Artsfest, nonprofit organization, negotiated with casino before they moved into town to pay for the steel stacks music and arts campus development which was a plus. However, when we went to visit the steel stacks with my family later to show them, we witnessed a scene between local law enforcement and some elderly Chinese immigrants from NYC who did not speak English, and who were apparently living at the steel stacks site in large number. We asked the police office why he was trying to get them to leave the park, and he said organized crime in NYC was busing immigrants to the casino, because the casino offered a free meal and a gambling voucher, he said the organized crime group would pay for a one way bus ticket for recent immigrant, in exchange for the gambling voucher, with no ride back after they received their free meal, so he said this was contributing to the rising homeless rate in Bethlehem after the casino opened, and they found several dead homeless under the bridges, it was really sad to hear all this. We welcome diversity in

I am very concerned that this casino would have mainly negative effects on our residents, in both our local area, in College Township and nearby municipalities, as well as on the whole region, including Penn State University.

Please do not put a casino in Happy Valley. I'm a PSU alum and my adult children still consider SC to be "home". Please don't spoil it with this.

This would ultimately put our community at risk for problems that would be irreversible.

I don't want this where we have kids- the mall is currently one of the very few places where parents can safely take their kids year-round. Please block this casino!