Malls Are Dying, Casinos Are Thriving. This JCPenney Is Being Targeted for Gambling
Posted on: February 13, 2026, 11:14h.
Last updated on: February 13, 2026, 11:15h.
- A former JCPenney at the Macon Mall could become a casino
- The casino is dependent on Georgia legalizing commercial casinos
- The pathway to casinos in the Peach State could take years
The enclosed shopping mall concept, a staple of Americana in the 1980s and 90s, continues to struggle. Real estate experts predict that almost 90% of the remaining indoor shopping malls in the United States will close or be repurposed over the next decade.
One popular reimagining of anchor mall spaces is to refurbish the large areas into casinos. Malls have been converted into casinos in several states.
In Pennsylvania, the former Sears store at the York Galleria is now Hollywood Casino York. Further west, a former Bon-Ton at the Westmoreland Mall is today Live! Casino Pittsburgh. The former Macy’s space at the Nittany Mall near Penn State University will soon open as the Happy Valley Casino.
In Virginia, the Belk department store at the Bristol Mall now serves as part of Hard Rock Casino & Hotel Bristol. And in New Hampshire, Casino Salem operates inside The Mall at Rockingham Park, and The Nash Casino is inside the Pheasant Lane Mall.
Georgia Shopping Mall
Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc. (GLPI), the real estate investment trust spun off by Penn Entertainment, today owns 69 casinos and related gaming facilities across the nation. GLPI has entered into an agreement with the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority for the exclusive right to purchase the former JCPenney store at the Macon Mall.
The deal allows GLPI to acquire the JCPenney space, which has sat vacant since 2017. GLPI is paying the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority $500,000 for the right to decide whether to move forward with the property acquisition over the next five years. If GLPI decides to purchase the store, the price will be $20 million.
GLPI can extend its exclusivity for another five years, come 2031, for another $500,000. In the interim, the company plans to spend about $1.5 million to demolish the existing structure.
Hull Property Group gifted the insolvent and largely vacant Macon Mall to the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority, the county’s government-led economic development entity, in September 2021. Macon is the fourth most populous city in Georgia and is centrally located.
Is Gambling Legal in Georgia?
A casino landlord purchasing a mall property for a gaming facility in Georgia might seem like a bad bet considering the Peach State prohibits slot machines, table games, and sports betting. However, legislation to lift the state’s casino ban has been repeatedly considered in the General Assembly in recent legislative years.
For casinos to be authorized, a statewide referendum would first need two-thirds majority support in the two legislative chambers. From there, the ballot question would need a simple majority support from voters during a statewide election.
Last year, GLPI sent Melissa Furillo, vice president of regulatory and legal affairs, and Steve Ladany, chief development officer, before the House Study Committee on Gaming in the State of Georgia, where they testified that casino gaming would provide economic opportunities, substantial job growth, and significant tax revenue.
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