PHILADELPHIA, PA, United States (UPI) -- Five companies have bid for two casino licenses in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said.


Statewide, the board received 26 applications for slots parlors in various locations, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday. The last day to submit a bid was Wednesday. The board expects to issue two casino licenses for Philadelphia by the end of next year.


All applicants had to pledge to pay a $50 million license fee.

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The decision to open casinos in Pennsylvania reflects a desire to attract much of the business the state now sends to big resorts and casinos in Atlantic City, less than an hour by car from Philadelphia.


Bidders for the right to build a Philadelphia casino are the Mashantucket Pequot Indian tribal nation, which controls Foxwoods Development Co. LLC; Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.; Donald J. Trump; Chicago-based Sugar House Gaming; and the Pennsylvania Partnership Group, which includes Planet Hollywood International Inc. and BHM Gaming Opportunities Ltd.


Applicants` casino proposals ranged in value from $200 million to $400 million.


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