Parx Shippensburg Casino Announces Upgrade to Add Live Table Games in Pennsylvania
Parx Casino in Shippensburg opened its doors in 2023. It is in what was a retail store space and is currently the only licensed casino in Pennsylvania that doesn’t offer live traditional dealer games. It recently submitted a petition to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) that seeks to redress this. It wants to make a shift away from its current hybrid electronic-live setup and offer a more standard gaming experience to patrons.
Parx Casino Shippensburg’s gaming floor
At present, the gaming floor at Parx Shippensburg covers 3,100 square feet and is a smoke-free zone. It has almost 500 slot machines and sports wagering kiosks. It also has food options and an entertainment space. This is much like what patrons can expect at most brick-and-mortar casinos, except that it doesn’t offer live traditional games. Parx Casino in Bensalem is also owned and operated by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment Inc., but it does offer traditional live games and operates online casinos under the betPARX brand.
The current hybrid format at Parx Shippensburg
A gaming table area includes 48 electronic terminals that support blackjack, roulette, and three-card poker. Live dealers deal cards or spin roulette wheels, managing multiple terminals at once. However, players don’t sit at a table and play at the terminals. They buy in for credits programmed into the terminals.
This hybrid format accommodates single players and those who want to play for low stakes. It makes it easier to track bets and payouts, saving time. A hybrid setup is good for most mini casinos that must operate within a smaller footprint. It offers the feel of live gaming, but with the terminals, betting and game management are more efficient. The experience is different from a fully electronic experience or traditional fully live tables.
Traditional live table games
Traditional table games offer a sociable experience for players as they sit around the table and chat with the dealer and other players. Parx Shippensburg wants to scrap its electronic terminals and install 12 live tables with positions for 72 players instead. The 12 live tables would consist of six for blackjack, two for three-card poker, two for Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and two roulette wheels. This could be an exciting development for the local gaming scene.
With the use of data and insights today, operators can improve the performance of casinos. At Parx Shippensburg, the electronic terminals are underutilized. The operator believes that traditional live games would serve the preferences of locals better and therefore improve performance.
Confidence that the petition will be granted
Parx Shippensburg is a category 4 (mini) casino, which limits the number of games, etc., compared to full-size casinos. As long as the casino meets all the regulatory requirements, there shouldn’t be objections to the petition. There may be some delays due to the fact that it currently operates under the hybrid model, and there may have been trade-offs in its original licensing. Converting to full live tables may raise new regulatory issues.
There is a high likelihood that approval will be granted. The iGaming market size may be increasing all the time, but traditional live table games are still popular. The PGCB has precedent for allowing live table games, and the broader regulatory framework in Pennsylvania already permits them at commercial casinos.
The operator has confidence that the petition will be granted, as dealers are already being recruited to manage the live tables. The inclusion of live dealers at tables to shuffle the cards and call the bets would add a new layer of sociability to the player experience. This mini casino could become a scene where locals gather to feel the rush of the chips clinking as they sit at the green felt and share the excitement and disappointment of wins and losses.
