Posted on: July 11, 2024, 11:38h.
Last updated on: July 11, 2024, 11:38h.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield at the Westmoreland Mall is undergoing change.
Owned and operated by The Cordish Companies, the Baltimore casino firm that additionally runs Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, a full-scale resort casino in Pennsylvania, renovation work recently began at Live! Pittsburgh. The venue is a mini-casino, or satellite, of the larger destination resort in Philly.
Cordish says it’s investing $3 million to reconfigure the two-story gaming layout in Hempfield. The project is highlighted by relocating the poker room from the second floor to the first level.
The poker facility will continue to feature Texas Hold’em and varying Omaha games in its new 1,050-square-foot home. The previous 1,600-square-foot wood-paneled poker room on the second floor will be converted into a special events space that will complement Venue Live!, which has hosted an array of special casino promotions and private happenings since debuting in 2022.
Casino Overhaul
Along with moving the poker room down a level, the $3 million project will expand the first-story High Limit Slots room to include three high-limit table games. A bar will also be placed inside the small high roller area.
Sean Sullivan, general manager of Live! Casino Pittsburgh, said the gaming modifications are the result of player feedback. Some gamblers who visited the casino reportedly were unaware of a poker room.
These improvements are a result of the continuous feedback we receive through a robust engagement process with our guests and our dedicated team members,” said Sullivan. “We are proud to continue to reinvest in the facility and serve as a world-class gaming and entertainment destination for Westmoreland County. We think our guests will be delighted with the new offerings.”
Live! Pittsburgh opened in October 2020 as the first satellite casino in the state. Being a Category 4 casino, the gaming floor is limited to a maximum of 750 slot machines and 40 live dealer table games.
Live! has operated at its slot and table cap since late 2021. The casino offers a FanDuel Sportsbook on the first floor and sports betting kiosks throughout the two-story facility.
Casino Success
Live! Casino Pittsburgh replaced what was formerly a Bon-Ton department store. The casino has helped reignite mall traffic and has aided in the Westmoreland Mall’s return to 95% occupancy.
Cordish invested $150 million to transform the Bon-Ton into a commercial casino. Along with its slots, tables, and sports betting, the casino offers three full-service restaurants — Sports & Social, Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar, and PBR Country Bar.
The second level section of Sports & Social offers social, non-gambling games like foosball, skeeball, arcade basketball, shuffleboard, bowling, and a golf simulator. The arcade games vary in price from about $5 per half hour for shuffleboard and ping pong to $45 an hour for a bowling lane during peak hours.
Pennsylvania is home to four mini-casinos, with Hollywood Casino York, Hollywood Casino Morgantown, and Parx Shippensburg being the other three. Live! Casino Pittsburgh was the top Cat. 4 casino revenue generator last year with gross gaming revenue of $114.7 million. Its FanDuel Sportsbook added another $1.7 million.
