Located in King of Prussia, Valley Forge Casino Resort is connected to the convention center. Travelers who have shopping on the agenda can visit King of Prussia Mall and King of Prussia Town Center. Chanticleer Garden and Elmwood Park Zoo.
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| Valley Forge Casino Resort | |
|---|---|
Valley Forge Casino Resort in Pennsylvania Valley Forge Casino Resort (the United States) | |
| Location | Upper Merion Twp., PA (Philadelphia area) |
| Address | 1160 First Ave, King of Prussia, PA |
| Opening date | March 31, 2012 |
| No. of rooms | 486 |
| Total gaming space | 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) |
| Notable restaurants | |
| Casino type | Land-based |
| Owner | Boyd Gaming |
| Architect | TN Ward[1] |
| Coordinates | 40°05′50″N75°25′01″W / 40.09713°N 75.416851°WCoordinates: 40°05′50″N75°25′01″W / 40.09713°N 75.416851°W |
| Website | Valley Forge Casino Resort |
Valley Forge Casino Resort is a casino in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. Located in the King of Prussiacensus-designated place (CDP),[2] it was constructed on the existing site of the Valley Forge Convention Center and opened on March 31, 2012.[3] It is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming.
- Adjacent to Valley Forge Casino, Valley Forge Casino Resort is one of the top choices for your stay based on our traveler data, and this 4-star hotel offers a casino and 7 restaurants. Other good choices within a short distance include Hyatt Place Philadelphia/ King of Prussia and Sheraton Valley Forge.
- Valley Forge Casino and Resort opened in 2012 is just outside of Philadelphia. It’s one of just two casinos in the state licensed to operate in locations inhabited by hotel resorts. That means it is subject to size restrictions limiting it to 600 slot machines and 50 table games.
History[edit]
Valley Forge Plaza[edit]
The casino complex originated as a mixed-use development called Valley Forge Plaza, constructed by developer J. Leon Altemose.[4] The construction was highly controversial, because Altemose chose to use non-union workers. This led to protests by local union members, during one of which, on June 5, 1972, the construction site was firebombed.[5] The first structures in the complex were the circular tower of the Sheraton-Valley Forge Hotel, an adjoining twin-screen cinema, and the connected curved executive office tower directly to the east, which opened in September 1973.[6]
In 1985, Altemose constructed an enormous addition on the west side, which contained the Valley Forge Convention and Exhibition Center and a second hotel tower, which added 160 rooms to the Sheraton. In 1989, the newer western Sheraton hotel tower was converted to a separate hotel, the Radisson Hotel/Valley Forge.[7] In 1992, the Radisson Hotel/Valley Forge was converted to a second Sheraton hotel within the complex, the Sheraton Plaza Hotel. In 1997, the Sheraton Plaza Hotel was merged back into the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel. In September 1999, the Sheraton Valley Forge was converted to the Radisson Valley Forge Hotel.[8] The western hotel tower was soon after converted to the Scanticon Valley Forge Hotel.
Casino conversion[edit]
In 2012, the complex was converted to the Valley Forge Casino Resort, and the Scanticon Valley Forge Hotel was converted to the Casino Tower wing of the resort, while the Radisson continued operating adjoining it. On March 31, 2012, Valley Forge Casino Resort became the 11th casino to operate in Pennsylvania. Back in 2009, rival casino Parx opposed the casino and challenged them in court, claiming that they did not meet the resort license requirements. The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Valley Forge Casino.
Valley Forge Casino Resort
The casino is the first in the state of Pennsylvania to be granted the Category 3 license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. This type of license means the casino is intended to support the existing resort property, limits the number of table games and slots available, and has requirements for access to the gaming floor.[9] A Category 3 license also requires that anyone who wishes to gamble in the casino must either spend at least $10 elsewhere in the resort each visit or purchase a membership.[10] The $10 minimum was eliminated on October 27, 2017 with passage of new legislation. The casino currently is at the maximum number of slot machines, 600, and table games, 50, that is allowed at resort casinos. The casino has the option to add 15 tables for monthly poker or blackjack tournaments.
The casino was built for $130 million over the exhibition floor of the Valley Forge Convention Center. The convention center was built by J. Leon Altemose in 1985.[11]
In 2018, Boyd Gaming purchased the property for $281 million.[12]
On March 11, 2019, Valley Forge Casino Resort began offering sports betting at a sportsbook called the FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino Resort with a two-day soft opening. An official opening for the sportsbook occurred on March 13, 2019, with former Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek in attendance to place the first bet.[13][14] The FanDuel online sportsbook launched on July 29, 2019.[15]
In 2020, the Radisson Valley Forge Hotel was converted to the Valley Tower wing of the resort.
Overview[edit]
Valley Forge Casino Resort consists of 850 slot machines and 50 table games including Blackjack, Super 4 Blackjack, Craps, MiniBaccarat, Roulette, Spanish 21, Pai Gow, Pai Gow Poker, Three-Card Poker, Ulimate Texas Hold 'Em, and other assorted high limit table games. The casino is also home to the FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino Resort, a sportsbook offering sports betting.
The Valley Forge Casino Resort has two hotel towers: the Casino Tower (formerly the Scanticon Valley Forge Hotel) and the Valley Tower (formerly the Radisson Valley Forge Hotel, originally the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel), together offering 486 hotel rooms and suites. The Valley Forge Casino Resort has over 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) of meeting, convention and exhibit space including the Valley Forge Convention Center. The complex also includes a spa, fitness center, and two stores (Valley Shop and Valley Style). The parking lot can accommodate 3,000 vehicles and has free valet parking every day.
The casino's rewards club program, Valley Club Rewards, has two levels, Valley Player and Valley Elite.
Dining[edit]
- Revolution Chophouse[16]
- Valley Tavern
- Asianoodle
- Italian Market
- American Grill
Nightlife[edit]
- The Vault
- Revolution Chophouse
- Center Bar
- Valley Tavern
- Valley Beach Pool Side Club (open seasonally)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'TN Ward Company - General Contractor serving the greater Philadelphia region'. tnward.com. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
- ^'2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: King of Prussia CDP, PA'(PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
- ^'Valley Forge Casino to Open by End of the Month - Good News - Lower Gwynedd-Ambler-Whitpain, PA Patch'. ambler.patch.com. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
- ^https://www.inquirer.com/philly/obituaries/20080416_Controversial_developer_J__Leon_Altemose.html
- ^https://hsmcpa.org/index.php/learn/found-in-collection/item/142-firebombing-at-valley-forge-plaza
- ^https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:T_QQFQcCzJsJ:https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1989-04-01-2697085-story.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-b-1-d
- ^https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:T_QQFQcCzJsJ:https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1989-04-01-2697085-story.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-b-1-d
- ^https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2001/12/17/story3.html
- ^'Table games approved for Valley Forge Casino - King Of Prussia Courier - Main Line Media News'. mainlinemedianews.com. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
- ^'Pennsylvania's newest casino opens at Valley Forge - Philly.com'. articles.philly.com. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
- ^Greene, Johnny (May 13, 2014). 'Valley Forge Casino Resort: Beginning of Good Fortune'. Pennsylvania Online Casinos. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
- ^Maykuth, Andrew (September 17, 2018). 'Boyd Gaming takes title to Valley Forge casino, plans to add 250 slots'. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2018-09-18.
- ^Barkowitz, Ed (March 7, 2019). 'Brent Celek to help open the region's newest sportsbook'. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^Gelman, Bill (March 14, 2019). 'FanDuel Sportsbook Opening Festivities Just A Precursor To March Madness'. Play Pennsylvania. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^Maykuth, Andrew (July 29, 2019). 'Fantasy sports giant enters Pennsylvania betting market'. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- ^https://www.vfcasino.com/dining
External links[edit]
Editor’s note: This in-depth feature is part of an ongoing series which examines casinos in Pennsylvania and their relationship with the town in which they live. Pennsylvania has experienced a period of great growth and change in terms of gaming. We plan to examine how this growth has impacted the brick-and-mortar operations in the state, what they offer visitors, and how they are doing on an individual level.
Can brick-and-mortar survive the online invasion?
A casino and a mall within two miles of each other might be the best indicator for their respective industries. One is a behemoth. The other is considered quaint. However, both will continue to rely on guest experience to survive, and maybe thrive, in concert with their not-going-anywhere online counterparts.
In 2016, the King of Prussia Mall opened a 155,000 square foot expansion in an age of mall closures. It increased the mall’s size to 2.9 million square feet making it the largest retail space in the United States and the biggest shopping mall on the East Coast. And yes, people still go to the mall. King of Prussia gets about 20 million visitors a year.
Valley Forge Casino Resort has a 40,000 square foot gaming floor but has compensated for its small size in big ways. It dropped its $10 amenity fee, added over 250 slots and partnered with FanDuel to bring a sportsbook to the location.
The major moves by the suburban casino have paid off. From January 2019 to January 2020, Valley Forge Casino Resort’s revenue increased 92%. The rise in revenue is by far the most of any of Pennsylvania’s twelve casinos.
The experience at Valley Forge Casino
Zerfing pointed out that Valley Forge Casino is a locals casino where the majority of its clientele visit multiple times a week.
“They are the lifeblood of our property,” Zerfing says of the regulars.
It’s why Valley Forge Casino put an emphasis on the customer experience well before the the addition of iGaming.
Said Zerfing:
“We will always strive to make the experience in the casino one that a customer wants to return. If they don’t like the experience here, they won’t come back. We provide customer interaction and provide a friendly, homely atmosphere that you can’t get from playing online. It’s what our culture is all about.”
Valley Forge Casino Resort Home Page
The addition of 250 slot machines allowed the casino to put new games on the floor and on busy nights, be able to handle the demand for popular titles. The most popular games, says Zerfing, are Lightening Link by Aristocrat and bar top video poker games.
Since the 55% tax rate in Pennsylvania on slots is high, many casinos try to convert customers from slots to table games (taxes for table games and poker is 16%). However, that’s not necessarily the case at Valley Forge Casino.
“We want the people to play where they want to play. Last year, we added Criss Cross Poker because people wanted to play it and we will continue to offer the games people want to play. We are not just a casino trying to push slot business. We really have a strong table business and it’s good for our overall financial health.”
Valley Forge Casino also houses a lively craps scene. The tables are usually filled with an animated clientele whose excitement reverberates across the gaming floor.
Valley Forge Casino Resort News
FanDuel’s impact
Upon entering Valley Forge Casino, one is greeted with perhaps the most recognizable name in sports betting: FanDuel. The physical sportsbook is small, only 1,800 square-feet. But the impact of the name is huge.
FanDuel has the highest handle and revenue of online sportsbooks in Pennsylvania. It took the top spot in August 2019 and has held the lead since. FanDuel online sportsbook finished January taking in wagers of $153 million which makes the retail location’s $2.9 million look miniscule. However, there is more to it than the numbers suggest.
Said Zerfing:
“We definitely get ancillary play. It’s different than a Las Vegas market. Our players are local. They’ll come in, make their bet, then play table games or slot machines. We have that cross-play. It’s a big reason we put the sportsbook where it is, so you don’t have to look for it. The table games are right next to it. It also helps our restaurants and bars. We see that ancillary spend across the property.”
As President & CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, Mike Bowman promotes the casino to visitors. An effervescent advocate of the area, Bowman was not a fan of seeing people go to New Jersey to place bets.
“It bummed me out. You knew it was coming one day, and you saw the results in New Jersey. The numbers are incredible. It’s not just sports betting, it’s the sports betting experience. We were jealous but now it’s happening here. It’s phenomenal and it’s only going to get bigger.”
Revenue growth for Valley Forge Casino
For an idea of how much the additional slots and dropping the amenity fee helped, in 2016 slot revenue ranged between $6-6.5 million per month.
From January 2019 to January 2020, Valley Forge Casino’s revenue increased 92% to $21,686,544.
Here’s how VF’s growth broke down:
- Slot machine revenue: $8,602,456
- Table games: $2,914,950
- Internet gaming: $2,081,252
- Retail sportsbook: $391,012
- Online sportsbook: $7,696,874
History of Valley Forge Casino
After overcoming court opposition from Parx, Valley Forge Casino Resort, located in Upper Merion Township, opened on March 31, 2012. At the time, it was Pennsylvania’s eleventh casino and the first to be granted a Category 3 license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. A Category 3 license comes with a number of stipulations including:
- Requires anyone who visits the casino to spend $10 at the property or purchase a membership
- Limits the number of slots and tables
In October 2017, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed major gaming reform which contained a provision that allowed the state’s Category 3 casinos to eliminate the mandated amenity fee requirement for a one-time payment of $1 million. Valley Forge wrote the state a check for $1 million faster than a dealer shuffling a deck of cards.
Then-President and CEO Eric Pearsonsaid at the time:
“Since opening five years ago, we have been constrained by the amenities requirements and membership fees which have confused and frustrated our guests. We are thrilled to be able to welcome our guests to our casino in the same manner as the other Pennsylvania casinos. Lifting this special requirement for guests to enter the casino allows us to better serve our existing guests, and puts us in a better position to attract new visitors to our property.”
In 2018, Boyd Gamingpurchased the property for $281 million. Boyd then added 250 slot machines, upping the total number to 850.
On March 13, 2019, former Eagles tight end Brent Celek helped open the FanDuel sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino. The FanDuel online sportsbook launched on July 29, 2019.
Valley Forge Casino Resort Hotel
David Zerfing, Valley Forge Casino Resort general manager said of the FanDuel sportsbook:
“Adding that amenity to the property has been big. It’s an amenity our existing casino customers really like and has brought a whole new demographic of new customers to the property. Two weeks after the sportsbook opened, it felt like it was there since the day the casino was built. It fits perfectly where it is and with the whole flow of the property. People recognize FanFuel. With the size of our property and the size of our sportsbook, what our retail sportsbook does compared to others, we get way more than what our marketshare should get.”
The backyard
Valley Forge Casino Resort is located about twenty-five minutes outside of Philadelphia. With the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge, Casino Tower and a conference center, it’s the region’s only full-amenity gaming resort. For now. When Live! Hotel & Casino Philadelphia opens in December 2020, it will also have a hotel.
Valley Forge Casino Resort plays host to weddings, banquets, conventions, and a calendar full of events such as sport’s card shows and home shows. It plays a big role in Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board’s mission to attract visitors to Montgomery County. The VFTCB gets a portion of its funding from a tax imposed on hotel rooms in the county (the Radisson and the Casino Tower have a combined 400 guest rooms), so the addition of the casino to the hotel property was a more than welcome addition.
Bowman commented:
“It does a lot for tourism. The economic impact for tourism is a perfect marriage. We’re lucky to have Valley Forge Casino. It’s not just a casino. It’s the whole package. We love it because you can have a few weddings in there in a weekend.”
Weddings are great for tourism since they have turned into weekend affairs. Come into town on Friday. Have dinner. Golf. Shop. Having a wedding with a casino on site is a built-in thing to do for guests.
Added Bowman:
“At the end of day, it’s about the experience. At Valley Forge Casino, their service is great. You can go hear some live music, and get a steak and a martini in the restaurant. It’s experiential.”
In the summer of 2016, theKing of Prussia Town Center opened less than a half mile from the casino. It’s a blend of residential, restaurants, and retail. Despite the near constant sight of Amazon Prime delivery vans, more brick-and-mortar shopping came to King of Prussia.
Tom Sebastian, senior vice president of development for the JBG Companies, the King of Prussia Town Center’s commercial real estate developer, told the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Pushing to be known as more than a mall, Upper Merion Township also experienced an influx of businesses moving to the area and a boom in residential development.
Valley Forge Casino and its town
The taxes collected from Valley Forge Casino Resort casino goes directly into Upper Merion Township’s general fund. Sports betting (online and retail) and slots are subject to a local share assessment of 2%. In addition to creating about 1,000 jobs, Valley Forge Casino added an entertainment and nightlife option.
Eric Goldstein, Executive Director of the King of Prussia Business Improvement District said:
Valley Forge Casino Website
“It brought a lot of life to the township in terms of just being a great entertainment venue.”
In a suburb like Upper Merion, the options for nightlife are local restaurant bars, the movies, or Netflix.
“The Valley Forge Casino is performing incredibly well relative to its peers in the region. The King of Prussia mall performs extraordinarily well. It’s amongst the best malls in the country. I don’t think the online impact has been that great on those two facilities. What we see, from my perspective, is that the future is moving toward a blend. An entertainment venue like a casino, which has non-gaming options, and a mall that is able to find a balance between online and in-store. People do both. I think thats the secret for success for both of those different entities.”
Five things you didn’t know about Valley Forge Casino
Valley Forge Casino Resort W2
- Zerfing says by the end of the year, Valley Forge Casino will be rolled into the Boyd’s B Connected loyalty and rewards program.
- Your Valley Forge casino offers are carefully calculated.
“Our marketing offers are based on a customers’ play. With customers coming here often we’re able to easily see what the offer should be based upon recent play. We are able to change offers and are continually competitive with this. Over the last two years we’ve been able to grow our slot and table market because we are giving offers commiserate with people’s play. We are constantly making changes.”
- Full-service dining at Valley Forge Casino is limited to Revolution Chop House and Valley Tavern. There are many other better dining choices nearby including The Capital Grille, J. Alexanders, and Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Less pricier choices include Bar Taco, North Italia, and Shake Shack.
- The closest thing you will find to a beach in Upper Merion is Valley Beach at Valley Forge Casino Resort. It opens in late May and is open throughout the summer. The pool is surrounded by a “sandy beach,” private cabanas, and an outdoor bar. After dark, bands or DJ’s take the stage.
- If you’re not a “beach person,” Valley Forge Casino hosts Dueling Pianos every Friday night in The Vault.
Regardless of what you’re looking for, Valley Forge Casino has made sure that there’s truly something for everyone in King of Prussia.