Another deal is finally complete in the world of PA gambling sites.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) Wednesday voted unanimously to award a Category 4 slot machine license to SC Gaming OpCo, LLC to construct a Category 4 casino in College Township, Centre County, which will be operated by Bally’s Corporation.
A Category 4 license permits a business to operate between 300 and 750 slot machines. According to a PGCB release, they also could petition for permission to operate up to 30 table games for an additional fee of $2.5 million with an option of adding 10 more table games after the first year of operation.
The new layout will offer: 750 slot machines, 30 table games, a retail sportsbook and a live special event stage, along with food and beverage outlets. No target date has been announced, but SC Gaming said that construction will last approximately 12 months.
According to the PGCB, construction costs are estimated at $35 million. Hopes are that the new facility will mean 350 full-time construction jobs and 350 jobs for full-time employees when it begins operations.
Background Process
This concludes close to 2½-year process the PGCB began in September 2020 when businessman Ira Lubert secured the right to locate a casino with a bid of more than $10 million at a Category 4 auction.
Lubert applied to the Board in January 2021 to locate the casino at a space previously occupied by a Macy’s department store at the Nittany Mall, which is located along College Avenue in College Township.
The PGCB followed with an in-depth background investigation of the application along with the collection of public input from citizens and public officials.
The PGCB held a final licensing hearing and questioned representatives of SC Gaming OpCo.
Pennsylvania’s land-based casinos now include six racetracks (Category 1), five stand-alones (Cat 2), two resorts (Cat 3) and three mini-casinos (Cat 4).
In addition, Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states with real money online casinos that allow Pennsylvania gaming apps.
In addition to PA slots, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Michigan and West Virginia also have slots and online table games, such as blackjack and baccarat.
It is expected that casino expansion in the Keystone State will continue over the next few years with up to two additional Cat4 casinos.
Casinos and the other PGCB-regulated gaming in state generated over $2 billion in tax revenue last year.
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