Penn National gets 2nd license to open satellite casino in Pennsylvania

Penn National Gaming announced Wednesday that it has received final licensing approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) for Hollywood Casino York, which will be located at the York Galleria Mall in Springettsbury Township, Pennsylvania.

It is the second license for Penn National to open a satellite or “mini” casino, this time in a vacant former Sears department store at the suburban York mall, and the state’s third mini casino license. The PGCB unanimous vote came almost two years after the company submitted the highest bid, just over $50 million, for the license. Penn National and the other owners of Pennsylvania's 12 casinos were eligible to bid and ultimately snapped up five licenses for $127 million.

“We are very pleased with today’s unanimous approval by the PGCB and look forward to opening the doors at Hollywood Casino York as soon as possible,” said Timothy J. Wilmott, Chief Executive Officer for Penn National Gaming. “The property will be ideally located to draw customers from south central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland, while also protecting our existing market share at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.”

The development of Hollywood Casino York represents an overall investment of nearly $120 million, inclusive of license fees for the property’s slot machines and table games. The approximately 80,000 square foot facility will feature 500 slot machines and 24 table games, with the ability to accommodate up to 750 slot machines and 40 table games.

Hollywood Casino York will also offer a sports and race book, casual restaurant and bar, an entertainment lounge, and a coffee venue. The facility is expected to generate roughly 200 new permanent jobs and more than 250 construction jobs. Construction of Hollywood Casino York is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months.

Penn National was awarded the Commonwealth’s first and fifth Category 4 licenses on January 10th and April 4th, 2018, respectively. The company previously received final licensing approval for Hollywood Casino Morgantown, which is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Category 4 gaming facilities are authorized by law to operate up to 750 slot machines and 40 table games, and tax revenue is dispersed at the state, county, and local level. Springettsbury Township will receive 2% of gross tax revenue on slot machines and 1% from table games.

“Hollywood Casino York will become an economic engine in Springettsbury Township and the greater community,” said Wilmott. “We have already met with local workforce development organizations to begin the process of identifying our future team members and creating approximately 200 new permanent jobs in York County.”

The General Assembly approved a second round of bidding for mini-casino licenses, but casinos did not bid and the market for new licenses is now closed.

The other mini-casino previously that received gaming board approval is Stadium Casino LLC in Philadelphia, which last month broke ground on its Live! Casino Pittsburgh, which will be in a repurposed department store in the Westmoreland Mall outside Greensburg.

The only facility that remains to get final approval is Parx Casino’s proposal to build a satellite casino in Shippensburg, but plans have stalled after its site was found to have sinkholes, and Parx is looking for a new location.