{"id":593487,"date":"2026-08-23T12:24:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T12:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/593487\/"},"modified":"2026-08-23T12:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T12:24:13","slug":"letters-convenience-gambling-at-pa-mini-casinos-becoming-obsolete-gts-empty-agricultural-promises-failure-to-support-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/593487\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters: ‘Convenience Gambling’ at Pa. Mini-Casinos Becoming Obsolete; GT’s Empty Agricultural Promises, Failure to Support Healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite\u00a0significant\u00a0increases\u00a0in July tourist traffic to the State College area due to\u00a0Arts Festival\u00a0and the\u00a0People\u2019s Choice Festival<\/a>, as well as further additional tourist traffic to the area due to hosting the\u00a0State Games of America<\/a>, Happy Valley Casino\u2019s\u00a0reported July gambling revenues<\/a>\u00a0were essentially flat with its already low levels from June. This suggests further declines in the casino\u2019s revenue extraction from its core market of local residents, which were temporarily offset by some additional revenue from tourists.<\/p>\n

The casino achieved\u00a0a monthly\u00a0gambling revenue of only $2,508,296 in July<\/a>. This\u00a0is an increase of only $98,678 from its\u00a0June gambling revenue of $2,409,617<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Accounting for July having 31 days while June has only 30, the casino\u2019s average daily gambling revenue increased\u00a0by only $592.18 per day from June to July (rising from $80,320.57 per day in June to $80,912.74 per day in July).<\/p>\n

Approximately 84% of the casino\u2019s July revenue derived from slot machines, consistent with every prior month\u00a0since it opened.\u00a0PA casino\u00a0slot machine revenue is taxed at rates of 48%-54%, while table game revenue is taxed at a rate of 16%<\/a>. After paying these taxes, the casino\u2019s annualized after-tax gambling revenue based on its performance in June and July is estimated to be only slightly more than $15 million per year.<\/p>\n

To put this number in perspective, College Township\u2019s independent casino impact report estimated the casino\u2019s\u00a0payroll expenses alone would total $16.5 million per year<\/a>\u00a0(i.e. 350 Full-Time Equivalent positions at an average of $47,000 per year each). While the casino has reportedly already\u00a0laid off employees<\/a>, it still must cover other significant operating expenses, and possibly also pay for debt servicing on any financing used during the casino\u2019s development.<\/p>\n

It remains questionable whether or not the casino is even profitable.<\/p>\n

What is now beyond question is that the surge in tourist traffic to the region in July due to Arts Festival and other major tourist events failed to boost the casino\u2019s annualized gambling revenues. Its revenues have never remotely approached what the\u00a0casino developers initially projected<\/a>.<\/p>\n

No one should be surprised by this<\/a>. Category 4 \u201cmini-casinos\u201d like Happy Valley Casino were originally created to provide \u201cconvenience gambling<\/a>\u201d for people who are willing to accept fewer amenities in exchange for not having to drive more than half an hour to gamble. People who live farther away have easier access to better gambling options \u2014 including larger casinos that offer a true destination resort experience, as well as\u00a0online casinos and smartphone gambling apps that offer 24\/7 access from anywhere.<\/p>\n

The visitors for July\u2019s major regional tourist attractions did not rescue the casino. We should not expect Penn State football visitors to rescue it, either. Now that online and smartphone gambling are widely available, the \u201cconvenience gambling\u201d offered by Pennsylvania\u2019s mini-casinos has become obsolete.<\/p>\n

Andrew Shaffer,
State College<\/p>\n

Glenn Thompson\u2019s Agricultural Promises Yield No Fruit\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since he was first elected back in 2008, Glenn \u201cGT\u201d Thompson has presented himself as an advocate for Pennsylvania\u2019s farmers, and he\u2019s in a good position to do it too \u2014 he\u2019s been the Chair of the House Agriculture Committee since 2023. But despite almost two decades in Congress, and this leadership position, there\u2019s little to show for GT\u2019s time in office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite claiming to represent Pennsylvania\u2019s farmers, GT\u2019s priority is clear: support Trump, even when it hurts his voters. <\/p>\n

GT has repeatedly supported and voted for Trump\u2019s ICE raids<\/a> that, combined with restrictions on temporary farm worker visas (H-2A), have created labor shortages<\/a>. Since Trump\u2019s second term, the U.S. has lost over 150,000<\/a> agricultural workers. This has been particularly harmful to the dairy, livestock and mushroom industries, all vital to central Pennsylvania \u2014 making it harder to collect harvests, and forcing some Pennsylvania farmers to leave crops to rot, uncollected<\/a>. None of these harmful policies are recent; many news articles<\/a> and agricultural organizations<\/a> have pointed out these policies have been harming Pennsylvania farming communities for all of Trump\u2019s second term, while GT, as chair of the House Agriculture Committee, has been in a position to do something about it! But, for 18+ months, GT did nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then, as his re-election looms, GT briefly proposed a revision to the H-2A visa that would allow badly needed temporary farm workers (currently traveling back and forth across the border every few months, disrupting important labor supply for farms) to stay for extended periods.<\/p>\n

On the surface this sounds good. It sounds like GT heard our needs, and acted. But look a little closer and that\u2019s not what\u2019s happening. It\u2019s too little, too late. It\u2019s too little because, despite his position of power as a long-tenured politician, and as chair of the Agriculture Committee, GT proved unable or unwilling to pass laws that would help out Pennsylvania farmers. Like so many of GT\u2019s plans, the visa change was just another proposal that led nowhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s too late because GT has had two years of Trump\u2019s second term, three years as committee chair, and 18 years in Congress to do this, but he never acted. His decision to act now, right before the election, clearly shows GT\u2019s priorities: not helping Pennsylvania farmers (if so, he would have acted long ago and more forcefully), but instead, helping his reelection chances. He wants to be able to say that he \u201ctried\u201d when it\u2019s time to campaign. So he can get two more years to do nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

GT has had his time in Congress and on the committee \u201crepresenting\u201d us. And we have nothing to show for it. It\u2019s time to find someone new, who will put Pennsylvania\u2019s farmers before political interests and the president\u2019s harmful agenda.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tracy Witmer,
State College<\/p>\n

Thompson Does \u2018Worse Than Nothing\u2019 to Support Healthcare<\/p>\n

Few issues are as important as the healthcare system which keeps us, and our loved ones, safe and healthy. This is especially true here in rural central Pennsylvania where the few hospitals must serve people across large areas, and people must drive long distances to receive care. One of the most important jobs of our representatives in Congress is to speak for us to improve this essential service.<\/p>\n

Here in Pennsylvania 15th Congressional District, \u201cRepresentative\u201d Glenn Thompson, claims he knows this need. As he said last November, \u201cmost of my congressional district is rural and many constituents must drive long distances to get the care that they need\u2026 [they face] doctor shortages and hospital closures\u201d (Thompson 11\/18\/2025). He\u2019s right, this is a crisis, here in north-central PA we face a \u201cvoid\u201d of healthcare options.<\/p>\n

Thompson\u2019s words sound great, but what has he done in practice? Nothing.<\/p>\n

Actually, worse than nothing. Thompson actively supported Trump\u2019s budget, the so-called \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that budget that Thompson voted for just stripped funding from the rural hospitals he claimed to support. The bill cut $1 trillion over 10 years from Medicaid, which is critical to sustaining rural healthcare. Independent experts estimate that \u201crural hospitals could lose around $137 billion over the next decade because of the budget measure. As many as 300 rural hospitals were at risk for closure because of the GOP\u2019s spending package.\u201d Here in Pennsylvania, the bill cut an estimated 15% of spending on medical services \u2013 between $34.3 and $57.2 BILLION over the next 10 years! For us in PA-15, this is a critical loss, at a time when every dollar matters.<\/p>\n

Trump sycophants, like Thompson, might point to the $50 billion healthcare fund in OBBB, but taking away $137 billion, then giving back $50 billion is a lot like stealing someone\u2019s meal, then giving them back their appetizer bread and telling them to be grateful for it!<\/p>\n

These closures are not theoretical; they are already happening across the country. The Associated Press reports that hundreds of rural hospitals face closure due to these cuts. And these problems are not distant for those of us in PA-15. A recent analysis found that a dozen rural PA hospitals were at risk of closing due to these Medicaid cuts from Trump\u2019s OBBB, a bill that Thompson voted for.<\/p>\n

Does this sound like supporting our healthcare \u2013 at a time when this money is badly needed?<\/p>\n

Nicholas Dudek,
State College<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Despite\u00a0significant\u00a0increases\u00a0in July tourist traffic to the State College area due to\u00a0Arts Festival\u00a0and the\u00a0People\u2019s Choice Festival, as well as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":593488,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[163,521,85,46],"class_list":["post-593487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-il","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=593487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/593488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=593487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=593487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=593487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}