PNG to develop mini-casino by Philadelphia suburbs
The casino operator has announced it has chosen a site by the Pennsylvania Turnpike highway to develop the venue.
US.- Pennsylvania’s recently approved gambling expansion legislation included 10 mini-casino licences to be issued to owners of the state’s 12 casinos. Penn National Gaming (PNG) scored 2 of them and has already announced where it will develop both of them.
The casino operator had already confirmed it will develop its first mini-casino at a former Sears store at a suburban York mall but has recently announced the location for the second one. A vacant 36-acre land along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, near Reading and the Philadelphia suburbs, has been chosen as the designated site for the construction of the venue.
PNG submitted a bid just US$3 over the US$7.5 million minimum and ended up winning the auction for the fifth mini-casino licence, which will be developed by the Turnpike. This amount has been the lowest so far, with the fourth bidder being the second with a US$9.9 million offer.
Mini-casinos can feature up to 750 slot machines and 40 table games. The other four licences have been sold to facilities in Lawrence, York, Cumberland and Westmoreland. From those transactions the state was able to collect more than US$118 million.
