Penn State Football Isn’t the Only Thing Struggling in Happy Valley—So Is Its Casino

Penn State football is enduring a difficult year under first-year head coach Matt Campbell. The college town’s local casino is also underwhelming in year one.

Happy Valley Casino opened in April at the Nittany Mall, located just three miles east of Penn State University’s main campus in State College. The $120 million investment took the mall’s anchor space formerly occupied by Macy’s.

Since its spring opening, the Category 4 casino has struggled to attract play. Cat. 4 properties are so-called “mini-casinos” that allow the licensee to operate between 300 and 750 slot machines and an initial allotment of 30 table games for an additional $2.5 million fee.

September was Happy Valley Casino’s worst month yet, with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reporting today (Oct. 19) that the casino generated monthly revenue of only a little more than $2 million.

Football No Touchdown for Casino

Happy Valley Casino reported September gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $1.6 million from its slot machines and $423,434 from its table games. Of the 18 casinos in Pennsylvania, Happy Valley ranked dead last.

September was supposed to prove Happy Valley Casino’s viability. But despite Penn State hosting three home games, including homecoming, when over 100,000 fans packed Beaver Stadium, the local casino won just $68,000 a day. By comparison, Hollywood Casino York, another Cat. 4 casino, generated GGR of more than $10.5 million, or $352,855 a day.

When Penn State alumnus and former board trustee Ira Lubert was applying for the State College casino license, a study commissioned by College Township projected that the gaming venue would generate $66.1 million in first-year revenue, or $5.5 million a month.

College Township faced backlash from hundreds of community members who told the local government the societal drawbacks would outweigh the benefits. College Township’s hands had long been tied, however, because the township failed to opt out of Cat. 4 casino bidding before a state deadline in 2017, meaning it could no longer singlehandedly block a casino development.

Penn State refused to take a position on the casino, but accepted a $10 million donation in 2024 from Lubert for its Beaver Stadium renovation. Richard Sokolov, who is the vice chair of the university’s board of trustees, is an investor in the Happy Valley Casino.

September Struggles

Happy Valley wasn’t the only casino that struggled in September.

Statewide, the PGCB report showed that retail slot revenue grew 2.4%, up $4.7 million. But revenue from in-person table games plunged 18% to $60.2 million, down $13.3 million and offsetting the slot gains.

Parx Casino saw retail GGR drop 7% to $42.6 million, Wind Creek Bethlehem was down 9% to $36.2 million, and Rivers Casino Pittsburgh was 13% lower at $23.6 million.

Of the 18 casinos, 10 saw year-over-year GGR declines in September 2026.