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Penn National Showcases York County Mini-Casino Plans Projecting 2020 Launch

Pennsylvania’s gaming field has been so generous in the past few days that one day of heated discussions and presentations was simply not enough for this week. Following the scheduled meeting of Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on Wednesday awarding sports betting and iGaming licenses, this Thursday saw the official presentation of Penn National Gaming’s proposed mini-casino venue set to be built in York County’s Springettsbury Township.

Public input is always vital and the state lawmakers were willing to make it possible for members of the community to express their opinion on the proposed satellite casino venue which is projected to elevate the local economy’s performance in the upcoming years. The last days of September saw the official announcement of the state gaming regulator scheduling the anticipated meeting on 1st November.

York Galleria Mall Might See Increased Traffic

York Galleria Mall is set to be transformed by the new development which will bring the gaming venue operated by Penn National. Yesterday’s meeting at the Township Administration building had the main objective to shed more light on the future plans. This was a subject of great interest since many of the town officials were present at the hearing.

Management of the York Galleria Mall which is going to welcome the new satellite casino venue was among the participants closely following the presentation. In addition to them, supervisors have also registered for participation, as the gaming venue will inevitably affect their operation in one way or another and they obtained more information. Local casino patrons were also present, expressing their warm welcome to every detail showcased.

As it could be recalled, the Category 4 casino development would be located in a highly-accessible area at the York Galleria Mall. The building located on Whiteford Road could prove to be just the boost needed. A high-traffic region is always eyed by developers as potential casino patrons could easily make their way.

Its well-known brand would embellish the former first floor of recently shuttered Sears store, bringing Hollywood Casino York to the region. According to Penn National’s plans for the region, the mini-casino facility should be finished and fully operational by the spring of 2020. This deadline is guaranteed to provide the developer with enough time for finalizing the project.

Concernes Expressed by the Communityvia Petition

The facility will have enough space for as many as 500 slot machines featuring some of the premium titles in the field. Some 24 table games will also be introduced to casino patrons willing to give their luck a try at the Hollywood Casino York. Expansion in the foreseeable future is also considered, as it could bring the overall number of slot machines to 750 slots, as well as add 20 more table games to the venue.

Further construction work will include a brand new entrance of the venue, which will close the direct access to the mall. This is projected to solidify the casino venue’s status of a facility welcoming individuals above the age of 21 only. According to the developers of the project, it is going to introduce some $64 million to the community, not only boosting the local economy but also the job market. A total of 200 new work positions will be created by the casino venue construction.

The hearing did not witness many individuals opposing the project, but a petition with 38 residents expressing their problem gambling concerns was presented. Now that the plan for action has been publicly presented, the State Gaming Control Commission is set to give it a more thorough review evaluating the pros and cons for the community and come up with its final say.

Since up to this point the area has not experienced a gaming venue impact, it is understandable that some members of the community could be more concerned about it than others. When all is said and done, positive projections should surpass the possible negative ones.

In the meantime, Penn National’s other Category 4 license received approval to bring a venue to Caernarvon Township in Berks County. Hollywood Casino Morgantown will be a $111-million project elevating the field’s performance potentially adding sports betting to its offerings as well.



 Author: Harrison Young

Harrison Young is an experienced writer, who started his career almost 8 years ago. Prior to joining our team at CasinoGamesPro, he worked as an editor for a small magazine.
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