Renowned U.S. casino operator Penn National Inc. has revealed plans to build a $111 million satellite casino in Morgantown. The company has already filed an application with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for the 80,000 square foot casino that will be located on a 36-acre piece of land close to the intersection of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Interstate 176 that connects with Route 422 near Reading.
The company’s proposed satellite casino that will be called Hollywood Casino Morgantown is expected to feature 750 slot machines, 30 table games as well as a sportsbook. This move follows the casino operator’s recent application and subsequent approval of its sports betting license in the Keystone State. In fact, Penn National has been labeled as an “odds-on favorite” as far as the casino that debut sports betting in the state and Hollywood Casino Morgantown will be one of the best places to set up a sports betting operation.
“Hollywood Casino Morgantown is ideally situated to generate new revenues from the more densely populated suburbs to the west of Philadelphia, while further protecting our existing market share at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course,” said Timothy J. Wilmott, the chief executive of Penn National Gaming Inc.
Penn National continues to be a leading gaming provider in the state and thus both the satellite casino and sports betting offerings are bound to take the industry by storm.
Partnerships with NetEnt and IGT
As part of its preparation for its much-anticipated sports betting and satellite casino offerings, Penn National as recently inked a partnership deal with NetEnt, a deal that will see the casino operator benefit from using NetEnt’s games in its new online gaming platforms. The launch of Pennsylvania’s online casino industry is just around the corner and by having NetEnt as its partner, Penn National is definitely going to have a huge competitive edge over other casinos that have been approved for online gambling in the Commonwealth.
“We are excited to continue our strategic expansion in the US. We have enjoyed success in New Jersey and believe that this will continue in Pennsylvania. We will launch with a mix of our table games, video slots, jackpot games and unique features like free spins that have been greatly appreciated by our customers and their players. Our ambition is to be live in Pennsylvania as soon as the market opens,” Erik Nyman, Managing Director NetEnt Americas LLC commented.
On a similar note, Penn National Gaming’s Penn Online Entertainment, LLC has also recently signed a five-year partnership deal with International Game Technology (IGT). This is another of the casino operator’s attempts to take full advantage of the forthcoming online gambling market in Pennsylvania. Eventually, when the industry finally goes live, we will have lots of products from Penn National Gaming to enjoy.