The state of Pennsylvania has been wanting slot machines for some time now. Getting legislation passed in 2004 to legalize casino style slots gambling, Pennsylvania now has the difficult task to award fourteen licenses to a pool of twenty-two groups competing to open slots parlor casinos and begin pulling in their fare share of the $1 billion in estimated annual revenue.

Using the money to fund property tax reductions throughout the state, the legislature calls for the issuing of six conditional licenses for racetracks, which are to become permanent licenses by early next year. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is overseeing the licenses, and has reported that twenty-five applications total were received by gaming operators seeking to do business in "The State of Independence". Five well-known operators are competing for two licenses in the city of Philadelphia - four of them proposing slots parlors along the Delaware River and a fifth at East Falls.

Harrah's Chester Casino and Racetrack has been the benefactor of one such license and is already undergoing its first wave of slot machine installments in its brand new 115,000 square foot gaming space scheduled to open in mid-January. With three lounges, a large banquet area for planned gatherings and six restaurants, Harrah's Chester Casino will be one of the largest gaming destinations Pennsylvanians have ever experienced, employing a slot operations workforce of 100 employees alone, in addition to the hundreds of others who will be helping run the racetrack and other amenities.

The Director of slot products and service at Harrah's, Brian Dolan, reported the casino had received 192 machines and was awaiting delivery of another 275 slot machines in the coming days. In total, 2,750 slot machines will be up and running at the Chester site when it opens. With only twelve slot games being traditional one-armed-bandit reel machines, the selection of video slots is going to be impressive. Aristocrat is responsible for the first installment, which consists of traditional casino favorites like Mr. Cashman, and Reel Power.