Happy Valley Casino to offer public ‘first look’ over Blue-White Weekend. What to know
Centre County’s long-awaited Happy Valley Casino isn’t quite ready to announce its grand opening just yet, but it will hold a soft opening of sorts later this month.
Casino officials announced Friday that the casino would host two Test Days from 2-10 p.m. on April 24-25, where the casino will be temporarily open to the 21-and-older public to ensure everything’s working as expected. All Pennsylvania casinos must undergo similar Test Days before opening.
All proceeds earned from those two days will go toward the State College Food Bank and the YMCA of Centre County.
“The Test Days are an exciting milestone for our team,” casino general manager Eric Pearson said in a news release. “We’re proud to welcome the community inside for the first time, not only to showcase what we’ve built, but also to give back to two incredible local organizations that make a meaningful impact every day.”
A news release from the casino said the official opening date would be announced following the successful completion of the test period, which will be held on the same high-traffic weekend as Penn State’s annual Blue-White Weekend. The Blue-White Practice will take place 1 p.m. April 25.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board requires all casinos to undergo Test Days to ensure the staff is properly trained, the taxable amount of revenue is correct at the end of the night, the slot machines are communicating with the central control system, etc. PGCB spokesperson Doug Harbach previously told the CDT that, barring significant issues, casinos can choose to open within days of the testing ending.
Of the previous 17 commercial casinos that opened in Pennsylvania, Harbach said all 17 passed without issue.
“Please understand that although we will be a fully functioning casino, we will still be training our team during these nights,” read a Facebook post from Happy Valley Casino.
The mini-casino’s opening has been a long time coming. Plans first surfaced in September 2020, but construction was delayed for years due to a legal and bureaucratic quagmire that the casino’s owner ultimately won in 2024, with construction proceeding in March 2025.
According to officials, the mini-casino will initially include up to 600 slot machines, 30 table games, a full-service restaurant and a quick-serve dining option. Supporters hope it will stabilize the Nittany Mall, revitalize the area and create hundreds of jobs. Opponents have raised concerns about gambling addictions and placing a potential strain on first responders.
This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 2:01 PM.
