Valley Forge Casino is spending big in the fight to be Pa.’s top gambling destination

King of Prussia’s Valley Forge Casino Resort is one of Pennsylvania’s most successful gaming destinations, and its owners are willing to spend a lot of money to keep it that way.

Boyd Gaming Corp. announced plans this week for a complete overhaul of the casino, which is 13 years old.

This will include a recently-opened food hall, a forthcoming upscale steakhouse and cigar lounge, a new tavern, a refashioned casino floor, and 261 completely remodeled hotel suites with a “sleek midcentury Las Vegas style,” according to a company news release.

“We need the money, we need to remodel, we need to improve our offering to really remain competitive,” said Martha Morales, vice president and general manager at Valley Forge Casino.

In April, Valley Forge Casino brought in just over $99 million in revenue, a 16.11% increase from the previous April and the most of any casino in Pennsylvania.

But the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course outside Harrisburg was a close second at $97.7 million, an almost 25% increase from the previous year. In March, the racecourse topped Valley Forge.

By contrast, the third best performer in Pennsylvania — Philadelphia’s Rivers Casino — brought in radically less than the top two contenders with only $56.2 million in April.

“In April, we led the Pennsylvania market, so we’re doing really well,” Morales said. “Then we can justify, from a monetary standpoint, the ROI [return on investment] for these type of improvements.”

Morales declined to reveal the cost of the renovations but noted that the number of workers employed on-site would increase from 650 to 700 when renovations are complete. Valley Forge is not among Pennsylvania’s unionized casino complexes.

The casino opened in 2012 and was acquired by Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming Corp. in 2018. This current effort is the first work done to the property since 2016.

The renovation started last year with the announcement of a food hall, which is now open. It features a coffee and breakfast spot, a grill, Chinese food from Peng Zu Express, and Mexican food from Taqueria Buena. The renovation of the complex’s lobby and the Stardust Hotel were recently completed as well.

The next phase will include the opening of a quick-service cafe, a tavern in the Stardust hotel tower, an upscale steakhouse and cigar lounge, and an overhaul of the casino.

“It’s a whole reinvestment, a whole new Valley Forge Casino,” Morales said. “We want to not only improve our gaming experience, but also give non-gamers a place where they can go and hang out.”

The Valley Forge casino is two miles north of the King of Prussia Mall, which remains the region’s premiere shopping destination. Morales pointed to the surrounding affluence and economic growth as another reason the resort needs to expand.

“We’re in a fast-growing community, King of Prussia, and Montgomery County continues to grow, too,” Morales said. “There’s a lot of things that are being planned out for the community, so we couldn’t be left behind.”