After sex and drugs, gambling is one of the issues on which both politicians and members of the media focus incessantly.
In Philadelphia, this is certainly the case.
This time, we're talking about casino sites.
Yet, possibly as a result, some of the other issues involved with the success of the facilities may have slipped Philadelphia's mind.
Aside from the logistical strides made by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, much of the progress in bringing gambling to Philadelphia has come in the form of discussing and identifying various sites for the city's casinos.
The Philadelphia Gaming Advisory Taskforce -- commissioned by Mayor John Street -- released a report last month that named 11 sites as possible locations for the two free-standing casinos that will operate in the city.
Street even gave a bus tour last week to city officials and members of the press during which he pointed out the possible sites.
And companies looking to be involved in Philadelphia gaming have expressed interest primarily in one way, by naming sites for their prospective casinos.
But location is not the only issue that demands attention.
The aesthetic value of the facilities, for example, is a factor which politicians have discussed, but not emphasized heavily.
It may be too early in the process to address the aesthetic issues related to the buildings, said Philadelphia Director of Commerce Stephanie Naidoff. But, she added, it is an important consideration in this type of development.
"To have slots-only gaming means you run the risk of someone coming in and just putting up a big box with no windows or anything," Naidoff said. "We have many things that we are looking at, and one is the design and the aesthetics."
Naidoff added, however, that because applications have not come in yet, "It is hard to measure ... what the scale and scope of [the casinos] would be."
Penn Praxis Executive Director Harris Steinberg said that such traits are critical in the design of the casinos.
"The wave of the future of gaming around the world is downtown destinations that are more than just casinos or resorts where people go for a day or two or three," Steinberg said.
But though politicians and experts agree that more is at stake than simply location, the Taskforce's report did not extensively address the design or quality of casinos that would best fit Philadelphia.
The report did state that 33 percent of residents said that quality of life in Philadelphia would decrease with the introduction of slots-only gambling to the city.
PGCB spokesman Nick Hays said the board will select the casinos based almost unilaterally on their ability to benefit the commonwealth.
In response to questions about whether the board would accept a second-rate design for reasons of location or money, Hays said that applications will not be read with one characteristic in mind.
He added, though, that if the casinos do not fit their environment, "It is not going to work."
The PGCB will not begin to issue gaming licenses until the first quarter of 2006. The 15 gaming sites will not be operational until at least 2007.
