Published on: November 25, 2024, 08:52h.
Last updated on: November 25, 2024, 08:52h.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Westmoreland suburb marked its fourth anniversary last week by unveiling new features and debuting a high-limit gaming lounge.
As one of Pennsylvania’s four “mini-casinos,” Live! Pittsburgh became the first Category 4 satellite gaming venue. Following a $150 million investment by the Cordish Companies to convert a former Bon-Ton department store at the Westmoreland Mall into a casino, the doors opened for gambling in October 2020 amid pandemic concerns.
Four years later, Cordish officials highlight the success of their investment in Pennsylvania, including the $700 million Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia. Live! Pittsburgh stands out as the top-performing mini-casino in the state, with $131.6 million in gross gaming revenue in 2023.
To commemorate this milestone, Live! Casino Pittsburgh made enhancements based on customer feedback received earlier this year.
Casino Enhancements
In July, Live! Casino Pittsburgh announced a reconfiguration of its gaming floor to enhance customer experience. The upstairs poker room was moved to the main floor alongside the slot machines and other table games.
The former upstairs poker room, now a 1,600 square-foot events space called the Social Club, features rustic lodge decor and is suitable for groups of 20 to 100 people. The venue boasts a flexible layout with a full bar, fireplace, leather sofas, and bucket chairs.
The main floor now includes a new high-limit lounge and the relocated poker room, catering to high-stakes players with three table games and a dedicated bar.
Sean Sullivan, Live! Casino Pittsburgh’s general manager, expressed excitement over the four-year milestone and the recent property enhancements. “There couldn’t be a better way to celebrate than with these three exciting additions to our beautiful property,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan emphasized the company’s dedication to being a valued community partner and a premier gaming and entertainment destination. The property upgrades incurred a cost of approximately $7.5 million.
Live! Pittsburgh Regulations
As a Category 4 casino, Live! Pittsburgh is restricted to 750 slots, including electronic gaming machines, and 40 table games, with the three high-limit tables contributing to this total.
Pennsylvania’s 2017 gaming expansion legislation mandates that mini-casinos start with 750 electronic gaming positions and 30 tables. After one year of operations, Category 4 properties can pay a $2.5 million fee to add ten additional tables.
Live! Pittsburgh is the sole Category 4 casino to date that has opted to pay the $2.5 million fee to expand its table offerings to 40.
Despite having fewer table games than Hollywood Casino York, Live! Pittsburgh trailed the former in satellite table revenue last year. Hollywood York generated $16.6 million compared to Live! Pittsburgh’s $16.3 million.