Keep the pressure up and the casinos out!

The casinos are on the run. SugarHouse is struggling to attract financing, while Foxwoods is going back to the drawing board yet again.

Nonetheless, the threat to our neighborhoods — to Chinatown, Fishtown, Northern Liberties and South Philly — remains. We know the predatory gambling industry won't give up easily, and the politicians who support them will continue to try to place casinos near our homes and businesses.

Indeed, the threat to the entire city from predatory casinos is present — and that's why we're continuing to oppose casinos anywhere in Philadelphia.

Please help us continue to grow our movement by making a contribution today.

This is a critical moment, and we need your continued support and involvement as we increase our strength. The past few weeks have demonstrated the power of community action — now is the moment to bring your friends and neighbors to these upcoming events as we move forward.

• TONIGHT, Thursday, Sept. 3 in Fishtown: Join us as we talk with neighbors about how we can stop SugarHouse and keep their community and all of Philadelphia casino-free! Meet at 6:15 PM at Penn Treaty Park, Delaware Avenue & E. Columbia. (Signups requested but not required.)
• Wednesday, Sept. 9 in Fishtown: Join Jethro Heiko, a Casino-Free Philadelphia co-founder, as he hosts a "stopping casinos" discussion at his house. We'll provide an update about SugarHouse and our efforts to stop its construction -- and how we'll stop the casino even if they break ground. We'll also be talking about our larger struggle against casinos in Philly. 6:30 PM at 139 E. Allen Street, near Delaware & Frankford Avenues.
• Thursday, Sept. 10 in Queen Village: Join Andrea Preis for a "stopping casinos" discussion in her home. How can Foxwoods be stopped? What will we demand of the planning commission? What's the latest financial problems Foxwoods is facing? As before, we'll talk about our citywide struggle against casinos. 6:30 PM at 338 Fitzwater Street.
• Tuesday, Sept. 15 in Center City at the No Slots Spot: Join Casino-Free Philadelphia and allied groups at our headquarters, the No Slots Spot. We'll be celebrating our victories and discussing next steps as our movement grows. No matter where you live, please join us as we celebrate three years of successful building of community power! 6:30 PM at 718 Market Street.

It's easy to get discouraged when a predatory industry targets your city and politicians publicly counsel giving in.

But in the past weeks, we saw how successful community power can be, as Foxwoods was at least temporarily prevented from building anything in Chinatown. And we've watched as SugarHouse sinks into a morass of financial troubles, its investment potential publicly declared to be "junk."

We hope these events have inspired you as much as they've heartened us.

We — you, your neighbors and friends — will win this effort on behalf of our communities. We've been successful for three years, and with your help, we have no intention of stopping!