Five of ten available mini casino licenses have been auctioned to PA’s existing land-based casino owners, but it doesn’t appear that the auctions, which have so far provided more than $128 million to the state, will continue.
→Pennsylvania set a new revenue record in March, cracking the $300 million barrier for the first time in its 12-year history. Surprisingly, the record was set on the back of slot machine revenue, which had been mired in a long slump.
→While some casinos have used the new “satellite” casino licenses as an opportunity to expand into new geographical areas, Penn National is shoring up their near-monopoly in Central PA.
→The new 26 table poker room at Sands Bethlehem is officially open for business. Beyond a number of quality-of-life enhancements the new room will be isolated from the main casino floor.
→Wind Creek Hospitality will certainly have its hands full when it takes over Sands Bethlehem, but the Alabama-based tribe appears up to the challenge.
→Following a mini casino auction with no participants, Pennsylvania opens bidding to past winners and new casinos, and also plans to discuss iGaming and fantasy sports.
→On the whole, Pennsylvania casinos don’t offer the most attractive games, but there are a few diamonds in the rough.
→In Pennsylvania’s fourth satellite casino auction, Sands Bethlehem appeared to lock up a location near the Ohio border for just under $10mm. Later that day the PGCB invalidated their bid and gave the license to Parx.
→Table game revenue at PA brick-and-mortar casinos fell by 2.17% in January, interrupting a glowing 10-month long streak of year-over-year gains.
→Sands Casino is the winner of Pennsylvania’s fourth satellite casino auction. The casino paid far less ($9.885 million) than any other casino thus far for the right to construct a mini-casino in Mercer County.
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