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The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board voted on Wednesday to approve slots and table games licenses for the new Happy Valley Casino, which is scheduled to open in April.
Happy Valley Casino officials were present during the PGCB’s monthly meeting and provided an update on the progress of the property.
General Manager Eric Pearson revealed slots and table games plans to the PGCB.
Similar plans to filing
Happy Valley Casino filed a document to the PGCB in July that highlighted plans for slots and table games. There doesn’t appear to be much change in the slots plans.
As it stated in the filing, the property plans to open with 600 slots, which is below the maximum amount of 750. Pearson said during the meeting:
“We’re opening with 600 games not as a concern about the business levels the unit count will demand. It’s really from a standpoint of being able to strategically field the right mix of games to the players that come to Happy Valley Casino.
“Once we’re open, we’ll get a much better sense of what those player preferences are. We can add those additional units with much better intelligence than we can just filling out the whole floor based on our best guess.”
Pearson called the strategy a “staggered approach” and he fully expects there to be 750 slot machines over the next two to three years.
The slot machines are expected to be delivered to the casino in the middle of December.
Table games plans
Pearson noted in the presentation that the table games mix has changed. The table below highlights the original proposal compared to the new proposal presented on Wednesday:
| Game | Original Proposal | New Proposal |
|---|---|---|
| Craps | 2 | 2 |
| Roulette | 3 | 3 |
| Mini Baccarat | 2 | 3 |
| Face Up Pai Gow Poker | 1 | 2 |
| Three Card Poker | 1 | 2 |
| Mississippi Stud | 1 | 2 |
| Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em | 2 | 2 |
| Spanish 21 | 1 | 2 |
| Blackjack | 16 | 12 |
Pearson decided to cut back on blackjack tables and add additional Face Up Pai Gow, Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud and Spanish 21 tables. The property is expecting the tables to arrive in February.
Happy Valley Casino is also providing a dealer school for those who want to pursue a career in the gambling industry. It received more than 250 applicants and is eyeing 150 of those to move through the program.
Pearson also noted that some dealer applicants have been placed in other employment positions at the property.
On schedule for opening and fees
Pearson said the property is scheduled to open in April, with construction to be completed by March 30. He presented current photos of the space and also renderings of what it will look like when completed.
The casino also provided an update on all of the fees associated with opening the property. It cost Happy Valley Casino $6 million for the slots license and $2.5 million for the table games license.
The property is going to be the 18th casino in the Keystone State.
