Pennsylvania: Parx Casino Shippensburg pushes back opening date to February

Pennsylvania’s Parx Casino Shippensburg announced Tuesday that the property will be opening its doors to the public in February 2023. The new date was publicly unveiled in a Facebook post. Originally, the 73,000-square-foot casino, which broke ground in February, was set to open its doors in November 2022, but had to push back its debut amid unforeseen construction delays and supply chain disruptions.

Parx, the casino brand owned and operated by Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment, is spending $65 million to transform a former Lowe’s home improvement store into a gambling venue. Upon completion, the casino will include approximately 500 slot machines, 48 electronic table games, and a “first-class” sports bar and restaurant holding up to 100 customers.

The casino is currently hiring ahead of the opening and has more than 50 available positions available, including bartenders, surveillance agents, security officers, cooks, and more. The new Shippensburg casino will be located at 250 South Conestoga Dr. It marks the first-ever casino in Cumberland County.

As a Category 4 casino, the “satellite” property is tethered to a larger full-scale Category 2 license. Pennsylvania initially limits satellite gaming facilities to a maximum of 750 slot machines and 30 table games, while Category 2 properties aren’t limited to a maximum number.

Parx Casino in Bensalem

The upcoming mini-casino expands Greenwood’s operations in the state. Its Parx Casino in Bensalem is today Pennsylvania’s top-grossing casino in annual revenue. The company had secured a Category 4 license for a satellite property by being the high bidder during a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) auction round in 2018.

The new casino will also add to Pennsylvania’s current offering of 16 brick-and-mortar casinos, 65 truck stops that house video gaming terminals (VGTs), 19 iGaming websites, 18 retail sportsbooks, and 14 online sports betting platforms.