Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Awards Category 4 License in Centre County

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (January 25, 2023) — The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today 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.

The award concludes a process the Board began on September 2, 2020 when businessman Ira Lubert secured the right to locate a casino with a winning bid of $10,000,101 at a Category 4 auction held that day by the Board.  Mr. Lubert then filed an application with the Board in January 2021 to locate the casino in a 94,000-square-foot space that formerly housed Macy’s Department Store at the Nittany Mall located along College Avenue in College Township.

Subsequently, the Board conducted an in-depth background investigation of the application along with the collection of public input from citizens, community groups, and public officials. This was accomplished through a public input hearing held in College Township on August 16, 2021 and the receipt of written comments through June 12, 2022.

Today, prior to its vote, the Board held a final licensing hearing in which representatives of SC Gaming OpCo, LLC were questioned by Board members about the project.

A Category 4 Slot Machine License permits the entity to operate between 300 and 750 slot machines. The entity could also petition for permission to operate up to 30 table games for an additional fee of $2.5 million with the capability of adding an additional 10 table games after its first year of operation.

According to information presented today to the Board, the casino, which will be operated by Bally’s Corporation, will offer at opening:

• 750 slot machines
• 30 table games
• retail facility sports wagering
• a stage for live music and special events
• quick-serve food and beverage outlets

Upfront construction costs are estimated at $35 million, and the facility expects to support 350 full-time equivalent construction jobs. The casino expects to eventually support the full-time equivalent employment of 350 persons.

No target date for opening has been set, but SC Gaming representatives told the Board it would expect construction to last approximately 12 months when begun.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of gambling involving 16 land-based casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports wagering, and Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) at qualified truck stops, along with the regulation of online fantasy sports contests.

The land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania consists of six racetracks (Category 1) casinos, five stand-alone (Category 2) casinos, two resort (Category 3) casinos and three mini-casinos (Category 4).  Casino expansion will continue over the next couple of years with the anticipated openings of up to two additional Category 4 casinos. A significant job generator in the Commonwealth, casinos, and the other types of Board-regulated gaming generated over $2 billion in tax revenue in 2022.

Additional information about both the PGCB’s gaming regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania’s gaming industry can be found at gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov. You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.