PA Supreme Court Ruling Clears the Way for Bally’s Nittany Mall Casino
In a landmark decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the establishment of a new casino in State College following years of court battle, a significant development that could reshape the gaming landscape in the state. This ruling concludes a contentious legal battle and paves the way for new economic opportunities and entertainment options in the region
The Background of the Case
In September 2020, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board initiated a bidding round for a new casino license. This is because the state’s casino licensing process involves an auction where developers submit their bids to obtain a casino license, and then it would be up to the PGCB if they give the green light or not.
In this particular instance, the available license was for a Category 4 casino, commonly referred to as a “mini-casino” due to its limit of 750 slot machines and 40 table games. Another characteristic of mini-casinos is that they cannot be located within 25 miles of another licensed casino.
Lubert, a part owner of Rivers Casino Philadelphia, secured the auction with a $10 million bid that same year. He subsequently established SC Gaming, the development company tasked with constructing the casino. A few months later, Bally’s revealed its partnership with SC Gaming to build the casino on the site of a former Macy’s at Nittany Mall in College Station.
However, they almost inmediately started to face many challenges that kept them from actually building the casino, such as locals opposition, an appeal from Stadium Casino (a development group that runs Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia that was not okay with SC Gaming’s bid) construction delays for ongoing lawsuits, etc.
Nonetheless in its ruling, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed the PGCB’s decision, stating that the licensing process had been conducted in accordance with the law and that the potential economic benefits were substantial. And while the court acknowledged the concerns raised by opponents, it ended up ruling in favor of SC Gaming, PGCB
The path forward for the Nittany Mall casino
With the legal hurdles now cleared, the development group behind the State College casino can proceed with its plans. The project is expected to include, according to their plans presented in 2021, 750 slot machines, 30 table games, a sportsbook and a sports-themed bar.
The casino will occupy 94,000 square feet and will take approximately 12 months to build from now. While it was initially estimated to cost $123 million, this number has almost certainly risen since the original plans were announced.
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