Slot machine arrival marks milestone in Hempfield casino construction - TribLIVE

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The more than 100,000-square-foot space at Westmoreland Mall that used to be a department store is starting to look like the casino it soon will be.

Live! Casino Pittsburgh, a $150 million venue owned by The Cordish Companies of Maryland, is slated to open before Thanksgiving with 750 slot machines and 30 table games. By Thursday, about 15 high limit slot machines already were installed, flashing lights giving the space a traditional casino feel.

A handful of slot machines were being installed outside the high limit area, games like Blazin’ Gems and Triple Jackpot ready to be placed on about 15 slot machine bases arranged on the casino floor. Signs reading “Promotions,” “Players club” and “Cashiers desk” shone red along the outskirts of the casino.

It’s a far cry from the empty space the formerly housed Bon Ton.

“That’s one of those benchmarks that’s critical in the construction and opening process,” General Manager Sean Sullivan said of the slot machines. “So, getting slot machines in here, and in our case 750 and 30 table games, is really an integral part. There’s so many facets to that, that when we see this we almost have a mini celebration.”

The casino will consist of two floors, the first being the casino and sportsbook through a partnership with FanDuel, and the second being more entertainment-based.

The second floor will be home to Sports and Social Steel City, a 445 seat restaurant and bar space, including a 45-foot television screen that can be viewed from the sport betting space downstairs. The 22,000-square-foot area has three bars under construction, along with a four-lane bowling alley, ski ball, a golf simulator, darts, basketball hoops, ping pong tables and shuffleboard. A banquet space also is located on the second floor.

“We think this is going to be a really fun space,” said Brian Uran, vice president of marketing for the casino.

A fourth bar will be located on the first floor, where additional televisions will be placed for people to watch sporting events. Concepts for two areas of the casino, one upstairs and one downstairs, have not yet been announced.

Casino officials have spent months gearing up for opening day, even though the exact date hasn’t been announced. Dealer school, in conjunction with Westmoreland County Community College, started in August with about 120 students. Of those students, between 60 and 70 are expected to be hired at the casino.

An additional 50 to 60 dealers with previous experience will be recruited.

A recruitment center opened in August next door to the dealer school in the Sears wing of the mall, allowing job seekers to meet with casino representatives, who can answer questions and provide additional information about the more than 500 available positions. Job interviews and open houses also are hosted at that facility.

Overall, the project is expected to generate more than $188 million in annual economic impact, with an additional $148 million impact from construction.

“We’re really excited about what’s going on in here,” Uran said.

Megan Tomasic is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 724-850-1203, mtomasic@triblive.com or via Twitter .