Content area
Abstract
Beginning in the late 1980s, casino gambling became the economic development strategy of choice for cash-strapped states and municipalities. Highlighting the potential for increased tax revenue and job creation, elected officials attempted to sell casinos to a skeptical public. During the same time, the political clout and profitability of the gaming industry increased while opposition from local communities grew. Thus, the decision to allow casino gambling frequently pitted the interests of business and government stakeholders against local communities. A recent example of this phenomenon is the controversy that ensued as a result of the legalization of slot-machine gambling in Pennsylvania in 2004 and the selection of two casino sites in Philadelphia in 2006.
This study analyzes what happened and why in Philadelphia using a critical case study approach and interprets the case using a framework based on Harvey's theory of accumulation by dispossession. Data sources include interviews, participation observation and a review of documents, archival records and physical artifacts. Data analysis tools include creative analytical practice ethnography, content analysis and grounded theory techniques. The results indicate that all components of the accumulation by dispossession framework are present in the case, although there are dissenting views among certain stakeholder groups. Moreover, the use of casinos as an economic development strategy—especially slots parlors like those slated for Philadelphia—offers a unique perspective on the workings of neoliberalism.
