Bally’s Continues To Face Obstacles in Bid To Develop Pennsylvania Casino

Article by : Erik Gibbs Dec 8, 2023

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The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has now taken measures to extend the resolution period for an ongoing case involving a mall casino in the state. The court approved two deadline extensions in the Nittany Mall Casino case in College Township. These motions were filed by both the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) and potential casino developers.

The idea behind the extensions pushes the original deadline from December 18 to January 2, 2024. During a January hearing in Harrisburg, PA, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board voted in favor of a provider in the state.

The PGCB unanimously granted a Category 4 license to SC Gaming OpCO, LLC, a subsidiary of Bally’s Corporation. The proposed Class 4 facility was part of a proposal to grant developers the right to start building the new casino structure.

As presented by SC Gaming OpCO, the new construction is set to feature 300 to 750 slot machines and up to 30 table games. This plan might also include an additional 10 tables after a year of operation.

The construction was established to extend for a year and with the support of a budget of up to $35 million. This development is also expected, by local authorities and the developers, to bring approximately 350 new jobs to College Township.

While the casino license secured PGCB approval, an opening date remains uncertain due to the ongoing appeal process. This could, in turn, allow competing operators to potentially submit appeals.

Although authorities embraced the project, a representative body of residents has condemned the construction of the project for over two years. From the start of the proposal, the project has met multiple protests and petitions.

One, in particular, garnered over 1500 signatures and thus became the most evident reflection of how a portion of residents continue to feel about the project developing in its state.

The approval of the College Township casino license is rooted in Act 2004-71 and Act 2017-42, providing the PGCB authority over specific gaming operations.

The latter act, enacted to broaden land-based gambling activities, permits up to ten Class 4 casinos across the state.

Additionally, Act 2017-42 included an opt-out provision for municipalities. However, in December 2017, the College Township Council chose to abstain from the opt-out option, driven by regulatory, regional and economic factors.