State College Community Speaks Out in Opposition of Bally’s Casino Near Penn State
Posted on: January 23, 2023, 02:07h.
Last updated on: January 23, 2023, 04:15h.
If there are State College residents who support allowing Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corporation to redevelop the former Macy’s department store at the Nittany Mall into a casino, Casino.org hasn’t heard from them.
We have, however, fielded hundreds of comments from concerned Centre County citizens who think gambling should stay far away from Penn State University Park.
Bally’s partnered with Penn State alumnus and former university trustee Ira Lubert. The alliance was made soon after he won the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s (PGCB) September 2020 auction for a Category 4 satellite casino. Lubert outbid Baltimore-based Cordish Companies, which operates two casinos in Pennsylvania — Live! Casino Hotel Philadelphia and Live! Casino Pittsburgh, the latter being a Category 4 property.
Lubert and Cordish qualified to participate in the September 2020 auction because they held ownership stakes in a slot machine license in the Commonwealth. Lubert owns a 3% stake in Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.
Bally’s didn’t qualify, as the company doesn’t have any vested interest in a Pennsylvania slot license. Cordish contends that Lubert orchestrated a scheme with Bally’s before the auction that ran afoul of the state’s bidding rules. As such, Cordish believes the state should dismiss Lubert and Bally’s Category 4 license application.
The PGCB will hear from Cordish during its meeting scheduled for this Wednesday, January 25. The hearing will also include comments from Bally’s reps and the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel.
State College Opposition
Pennsylvania greatly expanded gaming in 2017. The law authorized iGaming, retail and online sports betting, video gaming terminals at truck stops, fantasy sports, and Category 4 casinos.
The law provided townships and municipalities with the right to opt out of being considered for a Category 4 development — commonly referred to as “mini-casinos” and “satellite casinos.” More than 1,000 local governments did just that. But somewhat surprisingly, because of its close proximity to Penn State, where more than 46K undergrads live and study, College Township remained in the bidding pool.
It’s a decision the College Township council has since expressed regret about. That’s after the local community spoke out in considerable opposition to allowing a casino to come to Centre County.
During PGCB’s public input period, the state received more than 5,000 letters expressing disagreement with Bally’s plan based on a multitude of concerns. Since the public input period closed, the Penn State community has turned to media outlets covering the controversial matter, with Casino.org being one such source, to keep their voices being heard.
Casino.org has received hundreds of emails and comments expressing antagonism to the Bally’s State College project. Our January 14 coverage garnered 151 comments in opposition alone. The news story collected just one comment in support. To read the comments, click here.
Public Opinion Considered
The PGCB has promised the local opposition that the state will weigh the community feedback in making its final decision as to whether to grant Bally’s an operating license for College Township.
But since College Township didn’t opt out of the Category 4 bidding before the state’s August 2019 deadline, it’s unclear whether the PGCB would be willing to deny Bally’s a gaming license simply on the grounds of public opposition.
A likelier path to halting Bally’s project comes from Cordish. Regardless of which direction the gaming board takes, a legal appeal is likely. Title 4, which consists of the state’s gaming laws, directs the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to handle PGCB licensing appeals.
If the PGCB signs off on the Bally’s State College casino, Cordish is likely to appeal. But if the PGCB decides to terminate Bally’s plan because of the Cordish allegation or simply because the public seemingly opposes the development, Bally’s would be expected to appeal that decision.
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Last Comments ( 49 )
Having a casino close to Penn State's University's Park campus will cause many parents to encourage their high school seniors NOT to apply here, because they will be afraid that their student will become addicted. This will further diminish our applicant pool and has the great possibility of lessening the quality of our graduates. What's at stake here is not just the future of each student, it's the future and reputation of Penn State's University Park campus - just say NO to the casiNO!
PGCB needs to LISTEN to the overwhelming community opposition to this casino! It's not a good fit for our college community and I concur with many other points, already made, about the impact on college students, social services, and other side effects of gambling.
It’s becoming evident that Ira Lubert has no interest actually helping the community or the university at all. He cannot truly have the best interests of the community or students in mind. This seems like a great way for a PSU alumni to make money off the students of the university that he attended. Do not bring this casino to State College. We don’t want it. We don’t want to see a PSU alumni put money into their own pocket at the expense of the students on campus today. Someone has to see this is a truly bad idea.
Please! We don't have the social services infrastructure to deal with the impact that a casino will have on our area. Gambling is yet one more activity to add to the mix of problems that community members end up dealing with at the end of the party. There are plenty of nearby gambling attractions for people to visit who wish to gamble. Lets focus on safe and fun options that everyone can participate regardless of age or income in without regrets at the end of the day. How about someone investing in those?
I lived south of Baltimore prior to moving to Centre County in 2016 and saw first-hand the drastic and rapid deterioration the establishment of a casino caused in a mall that had been a family-friendly environment. A casino is the last thing this community needs. Thanks, Mr. O'Connor, for this thoughtful article.
A casino in a college town - this could be devastating to so many. The more I read of the background of how this came to be the more confused I am. Gambling addiction is real and it doesn't need to be superimposed on 48,000 youth who's brains are still developing. Please stop this project from going forward!
Thank you for your coverage of the local community’s opposition to the development of a casino at the Nittany Mall. I believe the net effect of the casino will be negative due to its harmful effects — gambling addiction, poverty, and crime, as well as their damaging consequences for families. I live in the community, as do my children, and I have seen firsthand the harmful effects of gambling (including addiction) in my own extended family. A casino is not appropriate for our college town. PGCB: Please respect the opposition in our community and refuse this license.
Thank you!!! We do not want the casino here!!!
A new business should help a community not harm it. A casino is a selfish entity. It makes a profit by enticing patrons of big winnings when the statistics show the patron will lose. College students, families, individuals, and our community will suffer if a casino appears. SAY NO TO THE GREED OF THE CASINO INDUSTRY AND IT’S SUPPORTERS!!
The PA Gaming Board has the power to deny a casino with such huge opposition by our community. We all realize the damage this has the potential to bring to tens of thousands of young adults and to the State College community, as well. We are calling on the Gaming Board to listen to their consciences and please vote NO!
As a retired psychologist who provided services to both the community and also to university students for many years, I can confirm what many others have said: a casino in a place like Centre County is going to cause more problems for more people and for the community as a whole than it will bring benefits. Those who are promoting the casino only care about their own financial interests, not about the well-being of our citizens and of our students. I hope the powers that be will find a way to prevent a casino from being built in our community.
The choice to reject this effort to open a casino in College Township should be simple. There is overwhelming community opposition. If this is allowed over this considerable opposition, then what is the point of representative democracy? The PGCB needs to be able to read the landscape and reject this, both for the community's sake and it's own reputation. Further, if this is approved, then the community will have to use its resources to continue to fight, because a casino in this community will fundamentally alter the quality of life for the worse in "Happy" Valley.
DON'T GAMBLE THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY! Allowing a casino here has disaster written all over it. Besides gambling addiction, which has been cited in many comments, there is bound to be associated crime - some very serious, perhaps deadly serious. And the casino will not be a net benefit to our community financially, as most of the casino profits will go to the parent company and not be re-spent locally, reducing revenue streams for the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State Football, local businesses and charities. At the same time, the casino will increase demand for local services from police and ambulance to social services. Finally, if there is one casino, how will the commission deny licenses to competitors? Let's nip this in the bud! I have lived in this this lovely community since 1961, and I dread the thought of how it would decline, how many lives would be ruined through addiction, and how many local young people would fall prey to the increased level of general crime a casino would bring!
Shame on Penn State to be involved in bringing gambling to State college, showing only money is what matters not the welfare of State country and even the students that they're supposed to be teaching and molding, of course the community doesn't want to invite crime prostitution and drugs that will come with the casino and has with every other one like the Pittsburgh river boats.
These organizations should definitely take into consideration the community’s public outcry over this proposed casino at the Nittany Mall as we are the ones living and working here and raising our families here. We will be the ones left paying for the damage this casino will most assuredly bring!