Parx Casino Shippensburg has announced its plans to open its doors on Friday, February 3.
The property, one of four mini-casinos currently authorized in Pennsylvania, was initially scheduled to open in late 2022.
An official statement on the opening was not issued by either the casino or its privately-held parent company, Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment. But the casino’s official website includes an announcement of the February 3 opening.
The casino also launched its own Twitter account in early December. Nearly all of the casino’s tweets involve hiring for various positions at the property.
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Five Years in the Making
Greenwood has spent the last five years trying to make Parx Casino Shippensburg a reality.
The company submitted a winning bid of more than $8.1 million for a Category 4 license with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) in February 2018.
Problems with the original site selected by Greenwood for the mini-casino — specifically, issues with sinkholes and traffic on surrounding roads, including Interstate 81 — caused a significant delay. Greenwood picked an alternative site, a former Lowe’s home supply store in the Shippen Towne Center, in March 2021.
PGCB held public hearings on the new location for the mini-casino. The regulator ultimately issued Greenwood a license in January 2022. Construction began immediately, with plans to open Parx Casino Shippensburg in late 2022.
It’s not clear what caused the delay into February 2023. Both sites are located in Shippensburg Township, in Cumberland County.
Changes Since November
Last November, concerns prevailed that the delay in opening Parx Casino Shippensburg could also delay the launch of an online casino or PA sportsbook tied to the property.
But a few developments since then have changed the calculus:
- PGCB reopened the process for out-of-state operators, aka Qualified Gaming Entities (QGEs), to apply for an online poker or casino gaming license not tied to a land-based casino in the state. The licenses aren’t a cheap option, though — each costs $4 million.
- The regulator issued the parent company of WynnBET an operator’s license for online casino gaming in December, signaling that WynnBET Casino PA could soon become the state’s 19th online casino.
- Earlier this month, Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) agreed to sell its market access in Pennsylvania for online casino and sports betting o UK-based bet365, replacing TwinSpires.
There are currently 18 online casinos in PA. Pennsylvania’s gaming law requires online casinos to partner with a land-based facility, but there is no limit on the number of skins a land-based casino may have.
The state also allows land-based casinos to have one online sportsbook and one for retail.
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Parx Casino Shippensburg said in November that it would “feature sports wagering kiosks” but did not name a retail sportsbook operator that would presumably run the kiosks.
According to the PCGB, Parx Casino Shippensburg has one of three Pennsylvania online sportsbook licenses still available in the state. Another mini-casino, Live! Casino Pittsburgh also has one available, as does Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin.
Last fall, the PGCB projected that up to 10 PA online casino apps would launch in Pennsylvania by the end of June 2023. At the time, the regulator said Bally Bet, Fanatics, Golden Nugget, PlayStar, and WynnBET were brands that had already started the licensure process.
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