Despite there being few updates over the last several months, the Bally’s State College Casino case still rests in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Stadium Casino, the losing bid for the facility, filed legal documents last week amid the dispute.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s (PGCB) decision to award SC Gaming the winning bid has been called into question since 2021. Hopefully, there will be answers at some point in 2024.
Bally’s already has a presence in Pennsylvania. It is one of 21 PA online casinos within the state. Should SC Gaming’s bid move forward, Bally’s would finally have a retail presence, too.
Stadium Casino files legal documents to Pennsylvania Supreme Court
New documents have been submitted to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the legal dispute between SC Gaming and Stadium Casino. The PGCB awarded SC Gaming a mini-casino license in September 2021 after Ira Lubert made a winning bid that exceeded $10 million for SC Gaming.
Stadium Casino, which operates Live! Casino Philadelphia and Live! Casino Pittsburgh, challenged the ruling, claiming that Lubert improperly bid on the license.
WJAC in PA is reporting that more documents were filed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court last week. The report did not disclose what kind of documents were filed. The report did say the PGCB responded to documents being filed, describing them as:
“The classic throwing spaghetti against the wall approach.”
There does not appear to be a timetable for the dispute to reach a resolution. Construction on the new facility cannot start until the legal process ends.
What’s next for the Bally’s State College casino case?
The two sides, along with the Pennsylvania gaming industry, are playing the waiting game with the case. While there is no time frame for a solution, the speed at which this case moves is up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
PlayPennsylvania reported back in September that the Supreme Court would hear the case.
The PGCB issued a stay-in delay for the highest court to oversee the case, and it obliged.
Last February, the Commonwealth Court raised several issues as “ripe.” In other words, Stadium Casino’s arguments have matured into a controversy that warrants further review.
Stadium Casino is accusing SC Gaming and Lubert of having improper partnerships that did not have PA licenses.
Bally’s could offer retail and Pennsylvania online casino
Should the Bally’s State College casino go through at some point, the brand would have both an online and retail presence in the Keystone State.
Bally Casino PA has remained unaffected by the legal battles of the land-based facility. The operator launched a platform last June and has accumulated $12.7 million in YTD revenue in six months of operation.
Breaking ground on the retail casino should help Bally’s online presence. The operator would be able to market better with a customer base that is becoming familiar with the brick-and-mortar location.
It’s entirely possible that Bally Casino PA could see an uptick in revenue once construction starts and finishes.
