Hollywood casino morgantown

Penn National Gaming’s $ million Hollywood Casino Morgantown, located along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, opened on Wednesday.

The casino, at Morgantown Road in Caernarvon Township, is the company’s fourth casino in Pennsylvania, and the first in its home county of Berks. Penn National Gaming is headquartered in Wyomissing, near Reading.

“For Penn National this is especially important,” Jeff Morris, vice president of public affairs and government relations at Penn National Gaming said. “We’re the nation’s largest casino operator. This will be our forty-fourth property. And it’s going to be in our own home community. Our corporate headquarters is right up the street.”

The casino will be open around the clock on weekends, and from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. on weekdays.

Members of the media got a sneak peek last week at what casino General Manager Marc Guastella calls “the casino of the future.” Here are some takeaways:

1. A new Turnpike landmark

Anyone traveling the Turnpike from Harrisburg to Philadelphia will get a view of this newest landmark, which sits alongside the Turnpike at exit (Morgantown exit). It’s also located at the intersections of I, and the Morgantown Expressway (Rt. 10).

With that, it checks off three of the most important considerations of such a business: location, location, location.

“It’s so ideal. So convenient — located off of three major roadways,” Morris said.

2. Gaming

Hollywood Casino Morgantown is considered a “mini-casino” but that doesn’t equate to small. The 80, square-foot casino will feature slot machines, with minimum bets ranging from one cent to $5. There will also be 30 table games. Among the games at the new casino are blackjack, craps and roulette. And if you enter through the self-park entrance, you won’t be able to miss 22 of the table games because they’re located straight ahead from that entrance.

Those interested can sign up for the casino’s reward card even before the casino opens.

3. Outdoor terrace for smokers

The casino has the first outdoor gaming terrace in the state, said Doug Harbach, director of communications for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. It takes up about 8, square feet, or about 16% of the casino and boasts slot machines.

It is the only part of the casino where you can smoke while gambling.

“What we’re trying to do is satisfy both groups (smokers and non-smokers) with this kind of hybrid approach,” Erin Chamberlin, senior VP of regional operations at Penn National Gaming said.

The terrace has heaters and you can hear the sounds of the turnpike while you gamble. There is a second terrace for smoking on the north side of the casino but there is no gaming in that area.

“I would not be surprised if we don’t see that unfold not only at other Penn National [casinos] but at other properties in Pennsylvania,” Harbach said of the concept.

4. Barstool Sportsbook

Food, drinks, games, betting and comfortable seating all in one place — that’s what Barstool Sportsbook aims to offer. It boasts a seat full-service restaurant, with betting windows and kiosks for sports and racing located throughout, along with interactive games, an outdoor fire pit and a merchandise station.

Patrons can place wagers on football, basketball, hockey, soccer, baseball, golf, tennis, auto racing, rugby, cycling, boxing and MMA, and cricket. The casino showcases Penn State, Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Eagles memorabilia. And there is a sports ticker as well. There are even stands to sit on to make you feel like you’re at the game. Foosball and other games will be located in this area as well.

5. Dining options

The casino features Tony Luke’s Philly cheesesteak restaurant and the adjacent Bar 76 (as in Interstate 76). Tony Luke’s will be open the same hours as the casino. Also available at the casino is the Red Lotus Asian Kitchen featuring popular noodle and southeast Asian specialties. Barstool Sportsbook’s restaurant will offer a wide selection of food and beverage options, from steaks to classic pub fare, more than a dozen craft and domestic beers, and hand-crafted cocktails inspired by classic sports movies.

6. If you have your smartphone, you don’t need to bring money.

You don’t need to bring a bunch of bills with you. That’s because you can download money, and cash out right from your telephone at the machine or gaming table.

When you download the mychoice reward card, you can create a “mywallet” account and transfer money from your bank account, credit card or other source. You can transfer your money via Bluetooth to a machine to play. If you forget to cash out, the machine will cash you out, returning the money to your account as soon as you walk away.

The technology is available for slot machines and table games, where the dealer will use an iPad.

For those not comfortable with the new technology, don’t worry. The machines will still take old-fashioned cash.

--Business Buzz

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