A local expert has said that the Mount Airy Casino Resort is Pennsylvania's answer to Las Vegas.

Despite the fact that the gaming industry is a recent arrival to Pennsylvania, one casino is bringing the spirit of Las Vegas to the state, an expert has said.

Chuck Barrow, writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, explained that the Mount Airy Casino Resort offers something different to the rest of Pennsylvania's out-of-town gaming facilities.

"The current model of the Keystone State casino is a slot-machine-filled barn with little more than a few restaurants and a small nightclub passing for amenities," he said.

However, he added that the Mount Airy resort, situated in the Pocono Mountains, is closer to the luxury facilities more often found in Vegas and Atlantic City.

It is different to the rest of the state's casinos because it is 110 miles north of Philadelphia, while the other facilities are built in cities or suburbs, Mr Barrow added.

George Toth, president and chief executive officer of the casino, which first opened its doors in November 2007, said that its peaceful location means it has some advantages over inner-city facilities.

"A golf course right on the doorstep … doesn't exist in Atlantic City," he said.