The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board members decided on Wednesday to renew Valley Forge Casino Resort’s gaming license. The venue is located in Upper Merion, Montgomery County.
The seven board members voted unanimously in favor of the renewal, pointing out that Valley Forge Convention Center Partners LP, the gambling operator in charge of the casino, had fulfilled the terms of its initial license. This is why the casino company was granted another three-year license.
Valley Forge first received permission to operate the Montgomery County gambling venue in 2011. The casino opened doors in March 2012.
In order to make its final decision, the state gambling regulator held two public hearings. The first one took place in Upper Merion a few months ago. The latter was held yesterday in Harrisburg and board members questioned casino staff, local officials, members of local community, as well as Pennsylvania police officers and gambling officials during it.
They all were given the opportunity to provide their testimony about the way the casino is operated as well as about the impact it has on the Upper Merion community as well as on the state as a whole.
As mentioned above Valley Forge Casino Resort opened doors for visitors back in March 2012. Since its launch, it has generated gross revenue of more than $340 million from both table games and slot machines featured at the venue. And it has contributed a little less than $140 million in gaming taxes to Pennsylvania. At present, the casino operates a total of 50 table games and 600 slot machines and employs 1,060 people.
Valley Forge Casino Resort is a Category 3 gambling venue. Under the current state casino regulations, such venues allow access to visitors that spend at least $10 in the other amenities within the properties or buy a membership.
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania gambling regulators considered the possibility to relax those restrictions in order to boost revenue at Valley Forge and the other Category 3 facilities across the state. Pennsylvania’s gambling venues generated a record high of $3.15 billion back in 2012 in gaming revenue. Since then, proceeds have been dropping. In 2014, the casinos posted a total revenue of $3.07 billion, which imminently resulted in less money being contributed to the state.
