PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ A Philadelphia City Council panel has unanimously advanced a zoning change to allow a slots parlor in a downtown shopping mall.

The full Council will now consider the plan to relocate the proposed Foxwoods Casino at the Gallery mall. Saturday's decision came despite emotional appeals by residents of nearby Chinatown concerned about the project's effect on their neighborhood.

Before the rules committee's five-hour hearing, about 600 people marched to City Hall from Chinatown. Some residents say they fear gambling addiction problems, while others say children might be exposed to bad influences at the mall.

A member of the Nutter administration, however, says the proposal is far from a done deal, and possible social costs will be considered.