Appearing in a recorded video message, Stallone, famous for his movie role as hard-luck Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa, was part of a parade of celebrities and gambling executives who asked Pennsylvania state regulators last week for a casino license in Rocky's hometown.

For three days last week, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board heard testimony from the applicants in advance of a Dec. 20 licensing vote.

Most of the testimony focused on topics like business plans, financial backing and traffic studies, leavened by occasional celebrity cameos. Actor Bruce Willis recorded a video message, and other celebrities, including music producer Quincy Jones and Donald Trump, also showed up.

Five competitors -- professional casino operators with politically connected or celebrity investment partners -- are vying for two slot-machine gambling licenses in Philadelphia, which could become the biggest city with a casino in the United States.

One message from the casino hopefuls was that big names will be a free advertisement to draw gamblers to their establishments to spend money that will eventually become tax revenue for Pennsylvania.