Solid Growth for PA Mini-Casinos With Two More Due to Open Soon
State of Pennsylvania gambling expansion was supposed to welcome ten new mini-casinos, driving more revenue for the Keystone State.
Satellite casinos are smaller venues that fall into Category 4. Such places can have between 300 and 750 slot machines and up to 40 table games. Regulators looked to provide a frame for casino companies to bring establishments closer to users who would rather drive half an hour or less to a small venue than go for a long drive to a larger casino.
The state Commonwealth managed to get over $121 million just in upfront licensing fees from PA mini-casino auctions.
The ambitious plan for ten PA mini-casinos didn't go through. The Keystone State will host five satellite casinos, which you can find on the PA casinos list. With three already opened and two projects in motion. Here is an update on the current situation.
Slight revenue decreased in October for Live! Casino Pittsburgh
Live! Casino Pittsburgh is a mini-casino located in Westmoreland Mall in western PA. Stadium Casino's satellite operation opened in late 2020.
One of the main attractions at the casino is a restaurant run by celebrity chef and restaurateur Guy Fieri. Investors looked to attract new customers with his high-end eatery.
The latest number doesn’t spark optimism, as the PGCB reported Live! Casino Pittsburgh’s October 2022 revenue of $8.9 million. When we compare it with 2021, it is a 5% decrease. Most money is generated from slot machines, around $8.2 million, while table games add a little over $1 million.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh is 13th on the earnings list, way behind the current market leader in Pennsylvania. Other sites are ranked casino apps that pay real money.
Table games performing great at Hollywood Casino York
Another satellite casino opened in August 2021 after some financial issues in 2020. Penn National’s Hollywood Casino got its satellite place in mall space in south-central Pennsylvania.
Unlike Live! Casino Pittsburgh, Hollywood Casino York managed to generate more revenue in October 2022 compared to the previous year. A 9% increase got this Category 4 casino to $8 million, according to the PGCB. Hollywood Casino York climbed up to 14th place among casinos in PA. However, it’s still not close to the main Hollywood Casino, who’s earning nearly $69 million.
York Casino got $6.5 million in slot machine earnings, and table games brought them $1.3.
The biggest revenue winner in 2022 is Hollywood Casino Morgantown
The second satellite casino opened after new legislation took place. It’s called Hollywood Morgantown, as its location has a zip code that touches three counties.
It’s located in Caernarvon Township in Berks County. The location was somewhat controversial because the area included Lancaster County, where all towns were against mini-casinos after the State passed the expansion laws. Nevertheless, the gaming board approved the site despite loud protests from residents of Lancaster County.
This satellite site had the biggest increase in revenue. While Hollywood Casino Morgantown generated just$346,496 in 2021, the casino recorded $6.5 million, a truly astonishing revenue increase. Hollywood Morgantown lags behind York Casino but is ahead of Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, the 15th-best in the Keystone State.
Casino earned $4.3 million from the slot and $807,000 from table games in October.
Another delay moves Parx Shippensburg opening to February 2023
Plans for Parx Casino Shippensburg opening were delayed for February 2023. The initial opening date for the mini-casino spanning 73,000 square feet was November 2022.
Parx will replace Lowe in Shippensburg, hosting 500 slots and 48 electronic table positions. The casino will have a spacious restaurant and sports bar with a full bar. There will also be sports wagering kiosks for customers watching games at the bar.
While Parx took the restaurant’s space, investors are trying to expand its space in the building to other available spaces.
Community fighting hard against State College Casino
The fifth mini-Casino should be in State College. Still, the local community is giving strong pushback to the idea of building a 750 slot casino in the vicinity of Penn State University.
The matter of the proposed Nittany Mall casino got to the Commonwealth Court. The case has been in the court's hands for quite some time, deliberating whether investor Ira Lubert partnered with ineligible sides to get the license.
According to Lubert and partners from Bally’s Corp., the new casino will bring 500 construction jobs and up to 400 permanent jobs. Aside from the maximum slot machine number, the State College Casino plans for 30 table games. The project should provide “dynamic career growth opportunities” for the community, according to the potential CEO of the new casino Eric Pearson.