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Happy Valley Casino ready for debut
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) issued a gaming license to Saratoga Casino Holdings, the company behind the Happy Valley Casino, last December. Last week’s announcement confirmed that the public is less than two weeks away from making their first visits to the property, located at the Nittany Mall in College Township.
All revenue generated during the trial period will be donated to the State College Food Bank and the YMCA of Centre County.
“We’re excited to finally open the doors and show the community what we’ve built,” general manager Eric Pearson said in a statement. “It’s even better that these first days will support two organizations that do meaningful work here in Centre County.”
The PGCB confirmed that the two-day test will provide casino officials and regulators with an opportunity to ensure that machines are in order, the casino staff is prepared, and communication is checked. Regulators will also keep tabs on the casino’s reporting systems and customers’ wager monitoring, ensuring that they are not allowed to openly display problematic or suspicious behaviors unnoticed.
The weekend of celebration marks a special occasion, not just for the casino, but also for the entire community. The trial run period will occur during Penn State’s Blue-White Weekend, an annual spring tradition that marks the final free and public scrimmage of the football team’s spring practice period.
An arduous process
The Happy Valley Casino has been in the works for several years. The idea of the project was first proposed in 2020 and was quickly followed by drawn-out disputes between legislators and regulators.
The licensing process began in 2021. Penn State alumnus Ira Lubert, owner of SC Gaming, entered an agreement with Bally’s to jointly develop and operate the casino. Bally’s backed out of the agreement in Sept. 2024, and six months later, Saratoga assumed its position. Saratoga then became the majority owner of the project in January.
While development on the casino was supposed to begin earlier, the project was delayed after Stadium Casino challenged the legitimacy of Lubert’s involvement. The Control Board eventually signed off on the casino’s license, which is Pennsylvania’s final Category 4 license.
Construction on the $120 million, 94,000-square-foot facility began in 2025. It is expected to house up to 600 slot machines, 30 live-dealer table games, a restaurant, and fast dining options, casino officials confirmed.
A post on the Happy Valley Casino Facebook page also said that the casino staff “will still be training” during the trial-run nights. 90 individuals graduated from the casino’s dealer school in March.
A local impact study suggested that the township will receive $1.4-1.6 million in annual tax stimulus from the casino.
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