Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino York in eastern Pennsylvania is expected to open in early August, according to testimony of the Category 4 casino’s general manager before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
During last week’s monthly gaming board meeting, Ruben Warren, general manager of Hollywood Casino York, told the board the casino was “a little less than eight weeks away” from its grand opening.
Also at the meeting, the board granted the casino’s request and approved its petition to offer table games, and heard casino representatives outline construction progress and difficulties in hiring sufficient personnel for the opening.
“My concern is having adequate staffing and having experienced staffing,” PGCB Chairman David Barasch commented on the hiring difficulties. “If you open with a bunch of rookies who may not be up to task…better to not open than open poorly.”
“Our goal is to open the property and make sure the dealers we have get the experience on the casino floor in order to operate the right way for our customers and regulators,” responded Warren. “We fully expect to open the property with all table games in operation.”
New hires are getting free training from a school set up at Penn National’s flagship Hollywood Casino in Grantville, and the casino is holding hiring fairs at the York Galleria Mall, the location of the new casino. Penn is offering hiring incentives including a $1,500 signing bonus, paid training, and entry to a sweepstakes for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, to be awarded to a new-hire who remains at work until the holidays. (Harleys are manufactured in York.)
According to a report on the PlayPennsylvania news site, the casino is still short 45 dealers.
Hollywood Casino York is Penn’s first Category 4 casino, created under Pennsylvania’s 2017 gaming expansion law to place gaming in underserved areas. Category 4 casinos, also known as mini-casinos,” are restricted to 750 slot machines and a maximum of 30 table games upon opening, with the ability to add 10 more tables on petition after opening.
Hollywood York plans to open in an 80,000-square-foot former York Galleria anchor store with 500 slots, 24 table games, 10 electronic table games, two restaurants, and the first Barstool Sportsbook on the East Coast. Penn acquired 36 percent of Barstool Sports last September.
