In Pennsylvania these days, some old department stores don’t fade away. They just trade their sportswear for slot machines.
At Westmoreland Mall, for instance, a former Bon-Ton store is now home to Live! Casino Pittsburgh, an 80,000-square-foot gambling venue featuring 750 slot machines and 40 table games that opened in late 2020.
But it’s not the only old department store to wager on gambling as a form of reincarnation. In fact, four of the five Category 4 mini-casinos licensed in Pennsylvania operate out of former big box stores.
The latest is the new $35 million Centre County casino to be managed by Bally’s. It will be located in a 94,000-square-foot former Macy’s store in the Nittany Mall in College Township.