Pa Mini Casino Locations

Penn National Announces Mini-Casino Project Hollywood Casino Morgantown Bucks County, it’s only a matter of time until you can shuffle up and deal. This past week, Penn National Gaming, Inc. Announced that its second Category 4 satellite casino will be located in Caernarvon Township in Bucks County. Its name is Hollywood Casino Morgantown. A new gambling expansion law signed in October by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf opened a market for up to 10 mini casinos that would complement the state's larger casinos such as the Sands Casino.

This is a first in the PA market with FanDuel providing sports betting and casino games for two separate retail casino locations. Live online casino launched in early August 2020, becoming the first online casino to go live before the retail casino opened their doors. Wind Creek Casino. Online casino partner: Wind Creek Casino. Penn National had objections to rules of mini-casino locations that unfairly impacted the company’s Hollywood Casino located in Harrisburg. PA mini casino rules state that a mew mini casino must be located at least 35 miles from an existing casino.

Pa Mini Casino Locations Near

Introduction to Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Pennsylvania slot machine casino gambling consists of twelve casinos of which six are pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines, four are standalone casinos, and two are casino resorts.

Pennsylvania has both minimum and maximum theoretical payout limits. Return statistics are publicly available online.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Pennsylvania*

The minimum legal gambling age in Pennsylvania depends upon the gambling activity:

• Land-Based Casinos: 21
• Poker Rooms: 21
• Bingo: 18
• Lottery: 18
• Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

In 2004, the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act passed. This Act legalized slot machines at fourteen locations. Of these locations, gaming licenses have yet to be issued for a standalone casino and a pari-mutuel racetrack with slot machines.

Since July 2010, table games are in Pennsylvania casinos.

In October 2017, the state legislature legalized casino gambling at truck stops, airports, and online. This bill also authorized ten new satellite casinos with location restrictions.

• Satellite casinos of existing casino operators must be within 25 miles of their existing Pennsylvania casino. Further, local municipalities may prohibit such a casino. These satellite casino licenses allow up to 750 slot machines and 50 table games.
• Racetracks and standalone casinos can have up to 5,000 slot machines and 250 table games, while casino resorts can have up to 600 slot machines and 50 table games. Truck stops approved by their county may have up to 5 slot machines.

Casino operators may operate a gambling parlor at any of Pennsylvania’s international and regional airports, assuming successful agreements with the airport authority. None have yet opened, but expected in 2020.

To gamble within a casino resort, players must be a guest there. Put another way, the gaming floors within the casino resorts are not open to the public.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Pennsylvania

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in the state of Pennsylvania if it is 25 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in Pennsylvania

The state gaming commission is the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). The PGCB is responsible for overseeing slot machines and casino gambling in the state.

Two different state gaming commissions are each responsible for the state lottery and charitable gaming.

Casinos in Pennsylvania

There are two casino resorts, four standalone casinos, and six racetracks with slot machines in Pennsylvania.

The largest casino in Pennsylvania is Parx Casino with 3,238 gaming machines during the last week of January 2020.

The second-largest casino is Wind Creek Bethlehem with 3,046 gaming machines during the last week of January 2020.

Commercial Casinos in Pennsylvania

The two casino resorts in Pennsylvania are:

Pa Mini Casino Locations Map

1. Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, 69 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
2. Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, 21 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The four standalone casinos in Pennsylvania are:

1. Mount Airy Casino Resort Spa in Mount Pocono, 31 miles southeast of Scranton.
2. Rivers Casino Philadelphia, 3 miles northeast of the downtown area.
3. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh in the downtown cultural center.
4. Wind Creek Bethlehem, 58 miles north of Philadelphia.

The six pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines in Pennsylvania are:

1. Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester, 18 miles southwest of Philadelphia.
2. Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, 17 miles northeast of the capital of Harrisburg.
3. Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre, 15 miles southwest of Scranton.
4. Parx Casino in Bensalem, 19 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
5. Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie, 126 miles north of Pittsburgh.
6. The Meadows Casino Racetrack Hotel in Washington, 26 miles south-southwest of Pittsburgh.

Tribal Casinos in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has no federally-recognized American Indian tribes. Therefore, Pennsylvania has no tribal casinos as allowed by the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1989.

However, Pennsylvania is one of the few U.S. states with commercial casinos owned and operated by an American Indian tribe:

1. Mohegan Sun Pocono is owned and operated by the Mohegan Indian Tribe of Connecticut through their Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment corporation.
2. Wind Creek Bethlehem is owned and operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians through their Wind Creek Hospitality corporation.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Pennsylvania slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Pennsylvania is:

• North: New York Slots and Lake Erie
• East: New Jersey Slots
• South: Delaware Slots, Maryland Slots, and West Virginia Slots
• West: Ohio Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Pennsylvania.

Our Pennsylvania Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Pennsylvania? If so, join our new Pennsylvania slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Pennsylvania. Join us!

Payout Returns in Pennsylvania

The theoretical payout minimum for slot machines in Pennsylvania is 85%. Further, the maximum theoretical payout limit may not equal or exceed 100%. Both limits apply to each single play.

The PGCB makes monthly return statistics publicly available for Fiscal Year 2019/2020 for each gaming facility. To calculate player win%, divide payouts by wagers provided in each report.

For February 2020, the player win% at slots for each casino and statewide were:

• Harrah’s: 89.47%
• Hollywood: 89.38%
• Mohegan Sun: 89.63%
• Mount Airy: 90.35%
• Nemacolin: 89.18%
• Parx: 90.43%
• Presque Isle: 89.43%
• Rivers Philadelphia: 90.49%
• Rivers Pittsburgh: 89.68%
• The Meadows: 90.11%
• Valley Forge: 90.25%
• Wind Creek: 89.98%
• Statewide: 89.97%

For February 2020, the highest player win% went to Rivers Philadelphia at 90.49%, followed closely by Parx and Mount Airy. The lowest player win% went to Nemacolin at 89.18% followed closely by Hollywood Penn National and Presque Isle.

Summary of Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Pennsylvania slot machine casino gambling consists of two casino resorts, four standalone casinos, and six racetracks with slot machines. Other locations should still open in 2020.

The theoretical payout limits are a minimum of 85% and a maximum of up to 100%. Monthly return statistics by casino are available online from the state gaming control board.

Annual Progress in Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem became Wind Creek Bethlehem, acquired by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians through their Wind Creek Hospitality corporation for $1.3 billion.

Pa Mini Casino Locations New Jersey

Otherwise, there have been numerous casino name changes including:

• Lady Luck Nemacolin became Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.
• Valley Forge Convention Center Casino became Valley Forge Casino Resort.
• Mount Airy Resort & Casino became Mount Airy Casino Resort Spa.
• Sugar House Casino became Rivers Casino Philadelphia.

Related Articles from Professor Slots

• ABC27 Harrisburg Evening News: A closer look at casino slot payouts

Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

• Previous: Oregon Slot Machine Casino Gambling
• Next: Puerto Rico Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC

The state of Pennsylvania is well on its way to finally witness actual results when it comes to its gambling expansion which has been confirmed by the latest news regarding a new mini-casino set to be built in Beaver County. One of the highly discussed ventures of the management of Mount Airy Casino Resort in the Pocono Mountains would be the satellite casino venue which is projected to launch operation towards the end of 2019.

This Monday brought the news that the casino developer and operator has finally chosen a site for its satellite casino venue construction which is set to commence in the upcoming months. In order to be finished in time for the proposed date construction work would have to keep up the pace. The location of the facility has been chosen in a manner that would capture the flow of customers only 45 minutes away from Pittsburgh and its booming market without the need to disrupt already existing operations in the radius.

Official groundbreaking of the project is set to take place by the end of this year. Interstate 376 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike would provide an incessant flow of casino patrons to the new mini-casino venue which would be situated on a specifically dedicated 100-acre land lot. Beaver County is expected to benefit significantly from the new gambling venue which is set to bring more tourists to the region, to attract people passing by, and introduce them to its wide range of offerings.

The neighboring counties to the liking of Allegheny and Lawrence Counties are also expected to see local players making their way to the new casino venue. What should also be taken into account is that Beaver County is situated on the state border with Ohio, meaning that the neighboring state could also make a good use of the gaming offerings available at the new satellite casino venue overseen my Mount Airy’s management.

Mount Airy Casino Developer Chooses Location

The employment market would also be boosted, as the new venue would need a well-trained staff in order to live up to the high expectations of the community. Some 300 temporary positions would be open during the construction process of the new venue, whereas 400 workers would be needed for the permanent positions opening.

It could be recalled that the initial plan for action was for the casino developer to build a mini-casino venue in the neighboring Lawrence County. Lawrence County Commissioner Dan Vogler expressed his position that the community will benefit a lot from the new location, but the ultimate decision was Beaver County. Thanks to its winning bid of $21.2 million and a pinpointed location near New Castle, Mount Airy Casino Resort made its intentions to develop more than clear.

However, the community had to patiently wait for the official decision to be announced, as the six-month period given to every casino operator was approaching its last days. Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was supposed to receive the final application with more information listed in it by 12th August. The casino developer felt unsure whether it could provide an answer in time and it requested a deadline extension until 12th October.

Its proposal was granted a permission, but as it turned out it was not really needed. For the time being no additional information regarding the casino operation have been issued, but it was confirmed that the facility would most probably resemble the ones currently overseen by the casino developer in Pocono. It would feature as many as 30 table games and some 750 slot devices available, but for the time being no renderings of the venue have been provided.

This is the second announced location for the construction of a mini-casino venue, as the first one came towards the end of July. Stadium Casino was the developer and operator which picked Westmoreland County for the construction of a mini-casino venue which would provide as many as 600 people with new job positions.