Hollywood Casino Morgantown is scheduled to launch at noon on Dec. 22, pending final regulatory approvals, according to an announcement from Penn National Gaming on Monday.

That means one month from now, Berks County residents for the first time will no longer be required to cross the county line to play a hand of blackjack, take a spin on a roulette wheel or pull a slot lever.

“The countdown to our grand opening begins today,” said Marc Guastella, vice president and general manager for Hollywood Casino Morgantown, in a statement.

“We’re very excited to soon welcome patrons to this beautiful new property, where they’ll be able to experience premier gaming, dining and entertainment.”

Situated near the intersections of The Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 176 and Route 10 in Caernarvon Township, the 80,000-square-foot facility becomes Penn National Gaming’s fourth Pennsylvania casino, but the Wyomissing-based company’s first in its own backyard, so to speak.

“It definitely holds special meaning to us,” said Eric Schippers, senior vice president of public affairs for Penn National Gaming, on a call. “The fact that it’s right down the road from corporate headquarters means that we really want it to be a showcase of the best of our Hollywood Casino brand.

“I think our executive team is gonna be spending a lot of time there, which puts added pressure on our terrific management.”

Costing approximately $111 million to build and finance, including licensing fees, Hollywood Casino Morgantown is expected to create 375 jobs, according to the release.

An interior shot of the soon-to-open Hollywood Casino Morgantown. Wyomissing-based Penn National Gaming Inc. will have a casino minutes away from its home office. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

What’s inside Hollywood Casino Morgantown

The new facility is what’s known in the state as a Category 4 casino — sometimes described as a “mini-casino,” though there will be no shortage of gaming and amusements on the premises.

Hollywood Casino Morgantown will contain the maximum 750 slot machines allowed under the permit, as well as 30 table games and a Barstool Sportsbook for sports betting.

The Barstool Sportsbook doubles as a restaurant and entertainment venue, with a 150-seat dining room, a bar with a “jumbotron” monitor and TVs stationed throughout so bettors can watch all of the action.

Hollywood Casino Morgantown also partnered with Tony Luke’s, one of Philadelphia’s renowned purveyors of Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, as well as Red Lotus Asian Kitchen to provide three distinct dining options at the location.

Schippers also touted innovative features that are coming to the Morgantown location, including Hollywood Casino’s new 3C technology — an app that will allow guests to handle transactions from their phones.

“It’s contactless, cardless, cashless wagering,” Schippers said. “Which is especially important in a post-COVID world.”

Brick and mortar still going strong

The investment in another physical location comes at a time when legal gaming has gone fully digital, with casinos and sportsbooks able to be accessed from computers and phones.

Yet, Penn National Gaming also just opened a Hollywood Casino in York and is currently in the process of revamping its Washington, Pa. location.

Schippers and Penn National Gaming describe a goal of providing an “omni-channel experience” in which brick and mortar casinos in digital work in tandem rather than in opposition of each other.

“We want to provide an outlet for our customers — whether it be online or in person — for them to experience the excitement that we can provide,” he said. “So it’s all interconnected.

“We can identify new customers online who may be fans of mobile sports wagering and provide them incentives to come try out one of our great restaurants or a special event we may be having with our Barstool partners. What we find when those new customers come out to our retail outlet, they typically spend more and it’s an incremental improvement to our ecosystem.

“When you give them an opportunity to come out to the facility, they like what they see.”

A homecoming of sorts

To celebrate the launch of Hollywood Casino Morgantown, there will be a two-day, invitation-only test period where proceeds will be donated to local organizations.

The event will see donations made to the United Way of Berks County, Honey Brook Food Pantry and the Jarett Yoder Foundation.

And it’s only the beginning, said Schippers.

“We’re grateful to work with local partners in the community,” he said. “It’s great to be doing this in our own backyard because of those relationships we’ve had for years.”