Resolution 240983

..Title Authorizing the Committee on Legislative Oversight to hold hearings to receive the report of the PHL Gaming Taskforce, to learn about its findings and the actions thus far taken, and to review the impact of this work on the vital Gaming and Tech sectors in the City of Philadelphia. ..Body WHEREAS, The Annual PHL Gaming Conference which included panel discussions, local businesses and was attended by over 300 residents who believe Philly is a" Gaming City" and can become the Home for the Gaming Community on the East Coast; and WHEREAS, Following the Conference, the committee of Game Developer, Studio Owners, professors, City workers, and more convened a working group to examine the impacts of the gaming community on the Philadelphia economy and its potential to grow as due to many of Philadelphia's current characteristics; and WHEREAS, As the home of many of the nation's top universities with programs specifically tailored to produce top talent in Gaming and Tech. Programs like Drexel University's Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design which ranks consistently among the top schools for game design by multiple organizations, including The Princeton Review are producing top talent that leave our City each year; and WHEREAS, The Entertainment Software Association, states that the U.S. Video Game industry created and supported more than 350,000 across the U.S. economy while generating and supporting more than $101 Billion in total economic impacts; and WHEREAS, The report goes on to share that this industry brought in over $14 billion in tax revenue, yielding over $ 1 billion for local and county governments; and WHEREAS, As the pandemic drastically shifted our local economy, this hearing will explore the potential growth of the Gaming Industry and its potential impacts on the Philadelphia Economy; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Committee on Legislative Oversight is hereby authorized to hold hearings to receive the report of the PHL Gaming Taskforce to learn about its findings and the actions thus far taken, and to review the impact of this work on the vital Gaming and Tech sectors in the City of Philadelphia. ..End