Happy Valley Casino’s long-planned arrival at the Nittany Mall took another step forward this week after state regulators signed off on operating certificates for slots and table games, prompting the project team to release fresh details about what visitors can expect when doors open in April.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board voted unanimously to authorize 600 slot machines and approved a separate certificate for table games during a hearing in Harrisburg. The casino must still file its request for the slot license itself, which officials expect to do in December, but general manager Eric Pearson said the project remains on track, with construction scheduled to wrap up by the end of March.
The venue is being built inside the former Macy’s space and will operate 24 hours a day as a smoke-free, 94,000-square-foot property. Pearson and attorney Michael Fabius described a layout designed around two dining concepts, a central bar, and phased gaming expansion.
Aces Social, the sit-down restaurant, will lean on a sports theme without being a traditional sports bar. “It’s a pretty broad menu,” Pearson said. Lucky Break Cafe will cater to players seeking quick service, offering items such as pizza, burgers, sandwiches, ice cream, and coffee. “When a player gets hungry, they have a place to go real quick to get something good to eat and get back to playing their games,” he said.
The casino’s opening inventory of 600 slot machines will represent a curated mix rather than the maximum allowed under its category 4 license. Pearson described the initial configuration as an informed projection of regional preferences.
“This initial order is our best guess. It’s a very educated guess; we’ve been doing this a long time,” he said. Low-denomination machines will make up the bulk of the floor, mirroring industry demand. Thirty table games will be available at launch, following payment of a $2.5 million authorization fee.
The lineup includes blackjack, roulette, craps, midi baccarat, and several poker-based games. Pearson said training needs played a major role in shaping the selection, since most dealers will be new to the job and table games are unfamiliar in the immediate region. “We understand that we’re going to be training them and sort of growing our own, so to speak,” he said.
Happy Valley Casino is recruiting through a free, 12-week Dealer School that begins in December and January. More than 250 applications have been received, with trainees earning $15 an hour during instruction. Pearson said the hiring effort is expected to support a workforce of roughly 300 people, with security and surveillance planned across all gaming areas.
The project, led by SC Gaming and backed by investor Ira Lubert, cleared a major legal hurdle last year when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed a challenge from a competing bidder.
Saratoga Casino Holdings has since joined as a development and management partner, with conditional approval to take majority ownership. College Township, which has supported the project as part of its effort to revive the mall, received a third-party study projecting between $1.4 million and $1.6 million in annual tax revenue once operations begin.