We got a tour of Happy Valley Casino before it opens. Here’s a look inside
After years of planning, Happy Valley Casino is nearly ready to open its doors.
A media event on Thursday offered a first-time glimpse at the layout, amenities and renovations made inside the former Nittany Mall department store.
Below is a look at a tour of the casino, which could open for regular hours as early as next week.
Main lobby & floor
Once you walk through the casino’s main entrance, you’ll arrive at a security checkpoint. There, officials will check your ID to make sure you’re of-age and perform any necessary security checks before letting you out onto the main casino floor.
For now, the main entrance facing College Avenue is the only way to enter the Happy Valley Casino. Officials constructed and prepared another entrance that lets out into the Nittany Mall, but that entrance is closed until further notice.
Eric Pearson, Happy Valley Casino’s general manager, said he hopes the mini-casino can generate business for the mall and produce enough foot traffic to make staffing the entrance viable.
“Our real hope is that the Nittany Mall continues to develop, continues to refill with leased tenants,” Pearson said. “I want those doors open, so if there’s enough traffic there, we’ll do it.”
Blue and gold carpet flows across the entire casino floor, matching Happy Valley Casino’s branding colors. During our visit, a wide range of ‘80s hits and classic rock music played on the casino floor’s radio system.
Unlike some other Pennsylvania casinos, Happy Valley Casino does not permit smoking. Some designated smoking areas are available outside the casino.
Slots and games
Happy Valley Casino initially features up to 600 slot machines and 30 table games, including blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat. Officials said it has the capacity to move up to 750 slot machines and 45 table games in the future, but a smaller total will help staff more easily manage business as the mini-casino finds its footing.
Unlike some Las Vegas casinos, the floor doesn’t feature a large number of licensed, intellectual property-based slot machines. During our visit, we counted just four such machines based on Frankenstein, King Kong, “Game of Thrones” and Bomberman, the Japanese video game character.
A high-roller suite is available toward the back of the casino. There, guests can play slot machines or select table games with larger bets.
Food & drink
Happy Valley Casino features two main food options for guests who work up an appetite.
The first, Aces Social, is the casino’s primary restaurant, allowing guests to sit down for a meal and enjoy a wide range of appetizers, soups and salads, sandwiches and entrées, including prime rib platters, salmon and crab cakes and vegetarian pasta dishes. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., but select entrées are available from 4-10 p.m.
Lucky Break Cafe operates as Happy Valley Casino’s quick-service restaurant. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., it serves appetizers, grab-and-go salads and sandwiches, 16-inch pizzas, cheeseburgers and chicken tenders, plus bakery items and coffee. The cafe also serves Meyer Dairy ice cream for a bit of local flair.
The casino floor features several drink stations, where guests can fill up on complimentary Pepsi products, coffee and tea.
Guests who are actively playing slot machines or table games can order complimentary cocktails, too.
When will the casino open?
Happy Valley Casino will host a soft opening of sorts with two “test days” open to the 21-and-older public from 2-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The test days, which are required for every casino opening in Pennsylvania, will send all proceeds to the State College Food Bank and the YMCA of Centre County.
Pearson said the mini-casino will take a day off on Sunday as state regulators evaluate the test days’ performance and compliance. If all goes well, Happy Valley Casino could open for regular hours as soon as Monday, April 27.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 1:39 PM.
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