The casino being built at the Nittany Mall in Pennsylvania’s Centre County, only a few miles from the main campus of Penn State University, now has a name.
SC Gaming OpCo, the LLC headed by real estate developer Ira Lubert, a PSU graduate and past chair of the university’s board of trustees, announced this week that the $120 million gaming venue will be named Happy Valley Casino.
Happy Valley represents Penn State. The area includes State College along with its five townships, such as College Township and Mount Nittany. Happy Valley is a section of the broader Nitt
"We feel that the name and logo pay homage to the rich history, picturesque landscapes, and enduring spirit of the Happy Valley community that we are proud to be a part of,” said Eric Pearson, CEO of SC Gaming.
In March, SC Gaming revealed that Saratoga Casino Holdings from New York will oversee the upcoming casino. Saratoga came on board after Bally’s Corp. left the project last September.
Happy Valley Casino is a Category 4 establishment permitted to initially provide up to 750 slot machines and 30 live dealer table games. The venue may feature a physical sportsbook, but currently, SC Gaming representatives state they are not inclined toward the low-margin sports betting market.
Happy Valley Casino will take over Macy’s position as the anchor tenant in the shopping center, which features numerous empty stores. Macy’s shut down its Nittany Mall location in early 2020 after JCPenney left in 2015, along with both Bon-Ton and Sears in 2018.
Happy Valley, expected to open early next year, will be the fourth Cat venue. 4 casinos in Pennsylvania to fill a previous retail shopping area.
Hollywood Casino York functions in a previous Sears location at the York Galleria, while Live! Casino Pittsburgh is located in a former Bon-Ton within the Westmoreland Mall. Parx Casino Shippensburg is located in a former Lowe's building.
Longtime Penn Staters who traveled northwest to State College from southern areas in Pennsylvania via US-322 may recall a roadside sign that cautioned that to reach Happy Valley, one must first pass through Death Valley. The stretch of road, previously just two lanes running through a deep valley alongside the Juniata River, was the site of numerous fatal car accidents until it was widened to four lanes in 2007.
As they came off the two-lane highway at Lewistown, with Happy Valley visible ahead, it was hard not to grin for the many Penn Staters who took that journey. The four-lane road speeds up the journey and enhances safety, though it feels slightly less nostalgic. A casino at arrival is another thing that many Nittany Lions fear.
A significant segment of the State College community is against permitting a casino to intrude so near to the location where roughly 49,000 undergraduate and graduate students are focused on their studies. The Penn State Board of Trustees declined to adopt an official stance on the casino, but they recently appointed Richard Sokolov as the vice chairman of Penn State’s Board of Trustees; he serves as vice president of SC gaming.
College Township’s choice to remain a potential Cat. 4 sites where it could have back in 2017 means that residents have limited legal options to prevent its development.
Pearson maintains that Happy Valley Casino will exclusively benefit the area.
“We’re confident that once it is completed, we’ll deliver a premier experience focusing on fun, excitement, and hospitality that complements Happy Valley and serves as a catalyst for further exciting development of the Dale Summit region around the Nittany Mall,” Pearson said.
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