In addition to the entertainment value Pennsylvania casinos provide, the impact facilities have in the community often fly under the radar. Live! Casino Pittsburgh recently celebrated $21 million in overall taxes created for Westmoreland municipalities and organizations since its 2020 debut.
Executives of The Cordish Companies, along with state legislators and county representatives, gathered at the Pittsburgh casino last week to highlight the community investment.
The Cordish Companies, who own Live! Casino Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, have also made other contributions to impact the local community.
Details of Live! Casino Pittsburgh’s $21 million in taxes
Live! Casino Pittsburgh is a Category 4 mini-casino that opened in November 2020. Since opening, the Hempfield Township casino has already raised $21 million in Local Share Account (LSA) taxes for its surrounding counties and the state.
The money has been distributed in the following buckets:
- Local Share Account Statewide: $12,928,220
- Local Share Account Category 4 Facilities Program: $4,021,881
- Hempfield Township: $4,021,881
Live! Casino Pittsburgh distributed FY 2021/2022 proceeds to 38 local municipalities and organizations and served as a major investor for 77 projects throughout Westmoreland County to improve the quality of life for citizens.
The PA establishment has every casino-funded project listed. Areas such as Irwin Borough and Penn Township were awarded $1 million apiece for upgrades in neighborhoods. And Unity Township was provided $999,500 to replace a bridge.
Pennsylvania State Representative, George Dunbar, said in a statement:
“We knew from the beginning that this was going to be a huge benefit for Westmoreland County, and I am glad to see it happening. Otherwise, these projects, funded by Live! Casino revenue would either be on the shoulders of taxpayers, or they wouldn’t happen at all. Instead, revenue generated right here in Westmoreland, is used for community projects right here in Westmoreland.”
Live! Casino Pittsburgh’s overall economic impact
Live! Casino Pittsburgh has been the top PA mini-casino in the Keystone State. It generated $99.2 million in slot revenue in FY 2022/2023, which is first among mini-casinos, and $15.7 million in table games revenue, trailing only Hollywood Casino York.
Since opening, Live! Casino Pittsburgh has produced nearly $519 million in investments to the economy. Here is how the money has been split up:
- Licensing fees: $40 million
- Construction costs and jobs: $100 million
- Hempfield Township: $5.1 million
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue: $123 million
- Employee compensation and benefits: $55 million
- Goods and services: $38 million
- Live! Casino’s Giveback Box program: $243,000
Obviously casinos exist to make a profit, however, the benefits of providing stable employment and funds to the community sometimes goes unnoticed.
Joe Weinberg, The Cordish Companies managing partner, said:
“Nothing makes The Cordish Companies prouder than playing an important role in supporting and enhancing the communities in our area. We appreciate our team members, the elected officials and local organizations for their leadership and commitment to building a stronger Westmoreland County through our continued partnership.”
The Cordish Companies’ history of giving back in Pennsylvania
The Cordish Companies’ other PA location, Live! Casino Philadelphia, made a sizable donation earlier this year.
During a luncheon to celebrate the two-year anniversary of Live! Casino Philadelphia in February, Jon Cordish, Principle of The Cordish Companies, announced to a room of roughly 100 guests a donation of $750,000 to Rebuild Philadelphia.
Rebuild Philadelphia invests hundreds of millions of dollars in neighborhood parks, recreation centers and libraries in the city of Philadelphia. The organization receives funds from the Philadelphia Beverage Tax.
Kira Strong, Executive Director of Rebuild Philadelphia, told PlayPennsylvania in February that the organization had a budget gap for a project at Murphy Recreation Center in South Philadelphia. Live! Casino Philadelphia stepped up with the $750,000 donation.
Children at the recreation center will benefit from a new turf field for softball, baseball, football and soccer. The project also includes improvements to the basketball court and the installation of a state-of-the-art LED lighting system.
“It speaks to our core family and corporate values which are one in the same,” Jon Cordish said in February. “It’s one of the things that’s central to being a family-owned business. We’ve been in this for multi-generational time periods and to build projects that are going to last, you have to make them win-win for the communities around you. You’ve got to give back and do things the right way.”
Live! Casino Philadelphia has donated more than $2.3 million in cash and in-kind support to various charities since opening.
Both Live! properties, under the leadership of The Cordish Companies, have made huge impacts in Pennsylvania.
