Happy Valley Casino Opens at Nittany Mall in Pennsylvania After Years of Legal Battles

^{The new Happy Valley Casino is just a short drive away from the Penn State University campus. (Photo: Happy Valley Casino / Facebook)}

The Happy Valley Casino opened Monday in the space of a former Macy’s department store at the Nittany Mall in College Township, Pennsylvania, after two completely successful days of test operations on Friday and Saturday.

The Happy Valley Casino is the 18th casino to open in Pennsylvania, and survived years of controversy, legal challenges, and changes in partners before finally taking its first bets.

Happy Valley Casino Promises ‘Top-Tier Gaming’ for Visitors

Happy Valley Casino is the fifth category four casino to open in the state. This refers to “mini-casinos,” with the venue allowed to have up to 750 slots and 40 table games.

Currently, the gaming selection falls short of those limits, with 600 slot machines and 30 tables featuring games like blackjack, roulette, craps, Three-Card Poker, and baccarat, among others.

General manager Eric Pearson called the opening a milestone for both the team and the surrounding community.

“This is an incredibly exciting moment for our team and the entire community as we open the doors to Happy Valley Casino,” general manager Eric Pearson said in a statement. “We’re proud to introduce a vibrant new destination where guests can enjoy top-tier gaming, great food and rewarding experiences. From day one, our focus has been on creating an atmosphere that’s welcoming, energetic and full of opportunity."

Happy Valley Casino will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. each day. Table games will be available only during a shorter span of peak hours from 4 p.m. to midnight. The casino requires all visitors to be 21 or older to enter, with no smoking permitted on the premises. Dining options include a pub-style restaurant known as Aces Social, as well as the quick-service Lucy Break Café, while customers can get complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages during play.

Casino Survives Legal Challenges to Open

The casino is several years in the making. In 2020, investor Ira Lubert successfully bid $10 million to win the right to apply for a category four license. Initially, Lubert had partnered with Bally’s to develop the casino, then later signed an agreement with Saratoga Casino Holdings, which is now the majority owner of the facility.

After the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board awarded the license for a casino at the Nittany Mall in January 2023, Stadium Casino – one of the losing bidders for the license – brought a legal challenge that went all the way to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. That court issued an opinion in July 2024 finding that the board had acted properly in awarding the license to Lubert.

While the facility is now officially open, Happy Valley Casino will be celebrating a grand opening event on May 8. The celebration will include a free commemorative gift for the first 1,500 Player Rewards Club members in attendance, and all visitors who join the rewards program before May 8 will have the chance to win a share of cash and prizes worth $10,000.