An Almost-Empty Pennsylvania Mall Is Betting on a Casino
Nittany Mall in Pennsylvania is facing the same fate as dozens of similar properties across America. Most of its space sits vacant, and this scene has long become a symbol of the “Amazon era,” as shoppers have been moving online in droves and massive shopping centers turn into ghosts of a bygone retail era.
Happy Valley Casino Could Change the Equation
Happy Valley Casino is set to open on the mall’s grounds this month, and the remaining tenants see the event as a chance for a reset. The casino could draw a new wave of visitors, some of whom will inevitably check out the neighboring businesses. For stores surviving in a half-empty space, even a modest uptick in foot traffic could prove decisive.
But some are skeptical, doubting that the casino will be able to attract a sufficiently large number of guests. They link their doubts to the fact that online gambling is legal in Pennsylvania. There are 20 legal online casinos operating in the state, including global brands. They offer, among other things, mobile play, which makes gambling more convenient and accessible.
The list of global operators is extensive, and they’re available not only in the U.S. but across many regions worldwide. Gambling platforms popular in Pennsylvania can be found on lists of mobile casino online operating in India, Kenya, or Australia. That speaks to the scale a local gambling venue would struggle to compete with. Still, many continue to cite reasons for cautious optimism.
Three Weeks In, Already Betting on the Big Day
One of those tying their plans to the casino’s arrival is Nue Head Spa. The business has been operating for only about three weeks, but its team is already shaping its strategy around the upcoming casino next door. Ling Wu, the salon’s supervisor, described the casino’s arrival bluntly.
“When the casino came in, it was a major boost,” she noted.
A Location Made Viable by the Prospect
According to Ling Wu, the owners of Nue Head Spa initially looked for a place to open in State College. The mall caught their attention precisely because the prospect of Happy Valley Casino opening promised an influx of people. Without that factor, the mall’s empty corridors would hardly have looked like an attractive place to do business.
The salon set up next to a T-Mobile store, and that proximity to one of the few remaining tenants only underscores the scale of the emptiness around it. Nue Head Spa’s grand opening was deliberately timed to coincide with the casino’s launch: the idea is that the first wave of curious visitors will also step through the neighboring doors.
Would the Salon Have Opened Without the Casino?
Asked directly whether Nue Head Spa would have appeared in Nittany Mall if not for plans to place a casino there, Ling Wu answered briefly: “Probably not.”
Cautious Optimism Amid Vacant Storefronts
For tenants who continue to operate among closed stores and darkened storefronts, the opening of Happy Valley Casino is seen as a rare reason for cautious hope. No one is under any illusions about the mall returning to its former heyday, but even a partial revival could change the atmosphere—and the economics—for the remaining stores. At a time when traditional retail across America is searching for new ways to survive, banking on a casino next door looks like one of the few cards left to play. Whether that card turns out to be a winner should become clear in the months following the opening.