Public invited to play, eat at Happy Valley Casino for ‘test days.’ What to know
Happy Valley Casino’s “test days,” or soft opening of sorts, will take place Friday and Saturday — and it will serve as the first opportunity yet for the public to see the inside and gamble on games.
The two test days will allow the public to try out the non-smoking casino for the first time, and 21-and-older visitors will be able to gamble on slots and tables, indulge at the eateries or try an alcoholic beverage. Centre County’s one and only casino will be “fully functioning” during test days, but staff are still being trained.
Here’s everything should know about the casino’s two test days, which will see the casino open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. both days:
What are test days anyway?
Before any casino in Pennsylvania officially opens, it first needs to undergo similar test days, which basically serve as a soft opening to make sure everything’s operating as intended.
Officials from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will be on hand to partly 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.
As long as there are no significant issues Friday or Saturday, casino officials could announce their official opening as early as Monday. A more formal “grand opening” with pomp and circumstance would likely be held in early May.
All proceeds earned from test days will go toward the State College Food Bank and the YMCA of Centre County.
What’s open during test days?
The hours will be abbreviated on both test days, as the casino at Nittany Mall will be open only from 2-10 p.m. both days. (When the casino actually opens, those hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day.)
Otherwise, the casino should be just about fully open for test days — so, well, it can be tested like a usual day of gaming. About 600 slot machines will be operating, the 30 table games will be staffed with dealers, and visitors will be able to order food and drink.
Test days will largely run like a normal day at the casino, with a few exceptions. For one, player’s cards will not yet be available. As a result, free slot cash that visitors might’ve received in an email cannot yet be used. Similarly, patrons will typically be able to order complimentary cocktails from the slot machines — an amenity even few casinos in Atlantic City boast — but officials weren’t yet certain whether that would be available for test days.
However, there is a complimentary self-serve beverage service — available for test days and normal business hours — that includes fountain soda, coffee and tea.
Parking will also still be free, with about 400 spaces available around the immediate vicinity of the casino. The entire mall parking lot can also be used, if the immediate area is a bit crowded.
What kind of slot machines will be there?
About 600 slot machines will be available for both test days and when the casino actually opens. The cheapest slots will entail the penny slots that can be wagered for less than $1 a pull while high rollers can try their luck at slots that cost as much as $100 a pull.
There will also be a “high limit” area, which entails about 40 slot machines and four tables.
Some of the more eye-catching slots throughout the casino include Buffalo Mega Stampede, China Shores, Frankenstein Returns and Huff N’ Puff. There will be video slots, progressive slots, bonus slots, and more.
What table games will be available?
Every table game is expected to be staffed with at least one dealer during test days, with possibly another shadowing. Low-stakes table players should be especially pleased with test days, as the table minimums will largely be $5 — meaning, yes, there will be $5 blackjack. (Lower table maximums will also be implemented during test days and should be about $25.)
Unfortunately for those who prefer low stakes, those minimums won’t last long.
When the casino officially opens, Stephen Rinaldi — Happy Valley Casino’s director of table games — said the lowest minimums would range from $10-$15. And GM Eric Pearson said blackjack would likely be no lower than $15.
Again, those numbers are dynamic and will change due to a host of variables. In other words, don’t expect the same table minimum at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday compared to a Saturday night after a fall afternoon football game. But, during off-hours or slow periods, $10-$15 is the minimum you can expect outside of test days.
Among the table games that will be available to play — both during test days and during regular hours — include blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Spanish 21, three-card poker, Pai Gow poker, face up Pai Gow poker and Mississippi stud. Each table will offer a brochure for players new to the games, and some games will be a bit streamlined for now.
What does that mean, exactly? Well, take blackjack, for instance. For now, there is only one side bet — the King’s Bounty — which pays 4-to-1 on any 20 and as much as 1,000-to-1 for 2 Kings of Spades and a dealer blackjack. Rinaldi said those side bet offerings could increase in the next six months or so, depending on how quickly the dealers take to it and how much of an appetite players have.
All of the table games appear to be as favorable to players, if not more, than a lot of new tables going up elsewhere. Happy Valley Casino will continue to pay out a 3-to-2 blackjack — some now pay out 6-to-5 — and the dealer stays on a soft 17, which is more advantageous for players than having the dealer hit. The craps table will also feature 3x-4x-5x odds, and roulette is American-style with two green spots (0, 00).
What’s available to eat, drink at test days?
There was some internal discussion about whether test days should offer a limited menu but, ultimately, casino officials decided to go full-steam ahead. Everything that will be offered when the casino officially opens will be available on test days.
That means there’ll be a full bar with a video slot at each seat, a sit-down restaurant and a grab-and-go cafe.
The sit-down restaurant, Aces Social, will offer handhelds that range from $15 (simple burger with side) to $24 (prime rib french dip) and entrees that range from $20 (pesto primavera) to $58 (filet mignon with red pepper mash and sweet tricolor carrots). LuckyBreak Cafe will have fare such as pizza ($5 for a “giant” plain slice, $25 for a 16-inch pie), sandwiches, desserts and coffee.
There’ll also be some local flavors such as ice cream from Meyer Dairy and caffeinated beverages from Rothrock Coffee.
Looking ahead
Eric Pearson, the general manager at Happy Valley Casino, emphasized the business still has room to change and grow.
Pearson said the casino intentionally installed 600 slot machines, short of the 750 they’re legally allowed to have, partly because they wanted to first see what visitors were playing — so they could add the right machines. Likewise, the casino’s director of table games said more side bets could appear in the coming months.
Additionally, Pearson said Happy Valley Casino isn’t afraid to pivot if something isn’t working. If the “high limit” area isn’t popular in Centre County, for instance, then it could potentially be replaced with something like a poker room, Pearson offered.
To begin, there will also not be an open connecting door that leads directly to the inside of Nittany Mall. So, if a casino patron wants to visit the mall, they’ll have to first walk outside before trying a mall entrance. But, Pearson said, that could change.
A door is already there, but it will be locked for both test days and when the casino officially opens. Due to the lack of foot traffic, Pearson said they can’t justify adding more security to take charge of a little-used entrance. But, if the demand is there in the future, he said they’d be happy to open it up. There are already signs, doors and a security kiosk there if the moment comes.
