Sure bets for area gaming sites
Pa. gaming board approves sports betting at Mount Airy, mini-casino near Amish Country.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on Wednesday cleared the way for another sports betting operation to kick off before the NFL season starts and approved the first minicasino license for a gambling hall planned near Amish Country.
First, on the sports betting front: The board approved Mount Airy Casino Resort’s petition for a sports wagering certificate. The Monroe County casino plans to convert its former Gypsies Night Club into a 7,000square-foot home for its poker room and sportsbook.
Todd Greenberg, the casino’s chief operating officer and general manager, noted that he believes the poker room’s current location on the third floor has depressed business — in April, Mount Airy reported a 37% drop in table games revenue. Greenberg expects the new location will increase the site’s poker business and complement the planned sportsbook, which will take up about 3,800 square feet and include self-service kiosks, live tellers and flatscreen TVs.
The goal, Greenberg said, is to get the sportsbook open in time for the NFL season, which kicks off Sept. 5. That’s also the hope for Mohegan Sun Pocono near Wilkes-Barre, which was approved for sports betting last month. Those would add to the six casinos across the state offering sports betting in eight locations. Wind Creek Hospitality, which closed on its purchase of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem on May 31, told the gaming board last month that its sports wagering efforts in Pennsylvania are not that far along.
Hollywood Casino Morgantown
Also at the meeting Wednesday, the board approved the Category 4 license for Hollywood Casino Morgantown, the first of five mini-casino approvals that will eventually come before the state.
The approval will allow Penn National Gaming Inc. to “soon begin” construction of the minicasino on a vacant 36-acre site in Caernarvon Township, Berks County, the company said in a news release following the board vote.
The site, adjacent to three major roads, will allow Penn National to draw customers from Reading and penetrate deeper into the western Philadelphia suburbs, the latter scenario expected to bring competition with Valley Forge Casino Resort in Montgomery County.
The project, however, has brought opposition from those concerned a casino wouldn’t mesh with the rural, conservative community, though the development has gained support from township officials eyeing an expected $1.6 million annually in new tax revenue.
The $111 million project, an investment that includes $10 million in slots and table games license fees, comes with a construction timeline of about 18 months, making a late 2020 opening the goal, Penn National said Wednesday. The roughly 80,000-square-foot facility is expected to house 750 slot machines and 30 table games, along with a sports and race book, signature restaurant, entertainment lounge and a food hall.
Penn National expects the facility to employ about 250 full-time-equivalent positions.
A name change
The meeting Wednesday started off with an informational update from SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia.
First, SugarHouse introduced the board to Rob Long, the facility’s new general manager who previously had that same title at Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, New York, also owned by Rush Street Gaming.
Officials then told the board that SugarHouse will be rebranded Rivers Casino Philadelphia, unifying branding since Rush Street’s other casinos all operate under the Rivers Casino name. The rebranding represents a $15 million reinvestment, and the casino plans to have a ceremonial launch this fall.