To future applicants considering Happy Valley Casino jobs:
If you’re thinking of signing up for the Dealer School or for roles as slot attendants, security or food and beverage staff at the proposed Happy Valley Casino, you may want to think again. Working at a casino may look like steady work on paper, but the reality in our college town could be very different — and not in ways that benefit you.
Gambling addiction brings real consequences to families and neighborhoods. Employees often witness the fallout firsthand: distressed patrons, late-night confrontations and the emotional toll of seeing people lose more than they can afford. That stress becomes part of your daily shift and can wear on your mental health and safety.
Beyond the human cost, job security is uncertain. The casino’s planned Spring 2026 opening has been met with community resistance and financial questions. If the casino should close within a year, newly hired workers would be left without an income, as well as much-needed benefits. Starting a new job that might vanish in months is risky — there are other local options that offer stability and growth.
Consider alternatives that build your resume without exposing you to these risks: campus positions, internships with local businesses, hospitality roles at established venues or training programs with clearer career pathways. These options can provide steadier hours, safer environments and references that help you advance.
Gina León
State College
I write as a mother whose son lost everything to gambling. When the Happy Valley Casino announced plans for a table games dealer school, friends asked whether I supported the planned 12-week course starting in mid-December. I absolutely do not. A casino table game dealer’s job is to normalize play, teach strategies and keep people gambling. When casino gamblers hand the dealer more cash to buy more chips, dealers often say, “Better luck” when handing over those colorful chips. For families like mine all of that is deadly.
My son began with small bets. Dealers and staff cheered him on and encouraged him to keep playing. His losses spiraled into secret debts, eviction and homelessness. Dealer training is not innocent vocational education; it trains people to manage play, read vulnerabilities and increase house advantage. Expanding the pool of trained table game dealers in Centre County will expand the pool of harmed casino patrons, especially the students of Penn State.
If you are considering applying for the dealer school here because you need work, please reconsider that. Do not assume a gaming job in a casino is neutral — for every paycheck it produces another family at risk. Responsible gambling training never mentions why that financially devastated casino patron might never return – not even to their own home.
State College is more than a site for profit-driven experiments that rely on human vulnerability. Regardless of that, every prospective employee at the Happy Valley Casino absolutely hopes for future job security. Ira Lubert has already convinced another casino company (Saratoga Casino Holdings) to assume a majority interest in his Happy Valley casino project that he has fought for since 2020.
Will the lack of a trained workforce be attributed to our community’s minimal interest in enrollment in the Happy Valley Casino’s dealer school? That’s exactly what we State College residents hope for!
What will happen to dealer school graduates when the casino finally opens next year, and they then struggle miserably, living from paycheck to paycheck, until the casino’s inevitable closure announcement?
And by the way, if you have not experienced or seen gambling addiction yet, I could give an overview of that – a quick summary would be, “ ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE!” Is causing this kind of misery the worthwhile life you’ve always dreamed of? If not, don’t take the bait and fall into this trap – you will live to regret it!
Joan Bouchard
State College
Abuse of Presidential Pardons
Donald Trump made hay out of President Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter. In my opinion, he had every right to raise questions. Biden’s motivation was understandable—he acted as a father—but a motive isn’t an excuse. Setting that aside, we’re left with a more troubling pattern: Trump’s unprecedented number of pardons and commutations granted to politically connected, indicted or convicted figures.
Ross Adams
Boalsburg
A Call to Conservative Conscience
Many Americans who value faith, family and personal responsibility are deeply concerned about the direction of our country. We now face a situation where a national leader—one found liable for sexual abuse and long associated with individuals involved in child exploitation—asks us to overlook conduct that would never be acceptable in our own homes or churches. When someone proclaims religiosity while acting in ways that contradict core moral teachings, it threatens the credibility of faith itself.
The more Christians embrace a leader who disregards these standards, the more we risk weakening public trust in religion as a cornerstone of American culture. When any president pressures the military or police to suppress peaceful citizens, we drift from the constitutional republic our founders built and toward the kind of centralized authority conservatives have always opposed.
As power becomes politicized, respect for law enforcement and national institutions erodes. Patriotism withers when citizens feel their freedoms—speech, protest and bodily autonomy—are no longer secure. Those who speak up for constitutional limits are increasingly targeted, while government agencies are now being reshaped into tools of personal retaliation.
History shows that when a leader centralizes power and suppresses dissent, economic decline and loss of liberty follow. America has always stood for individual rights, moral accountability and limited government. If we abandon those principles now, the nation we love may become unrecognizable.
For the sake of our country’s future, we must return to leadership grounded in integrity, humility and respect for the Constitution.
Doug Keith
State College
Support Public Media
For more than 70 years, WPSU has been a steady friend to Central and Northern Pennsylvania—bringing us trusted news, educational programs and stories that reflect the heart of our region. It’s one of the few institutions that truly connects our rural and urban communities.
WPSU is now at a crossroad. With Penn State ending its financial support, the station’s future—and our access to independent, local public media—is at risk. WPSU needs a new path forward.
The good news is that one exists. WHYY has stepped up with a plan to acquire WPSU while keeping its identity local and its mission rooted right here at home. This isn’t a takeover—it’s a partnership designed to protect local journalism, strengthen educational and cultural programming and ensure that free, non-commercial media continues to reach every household in our region.
This partnership would:
• Keep local journalism anchored in Central and Northern Pennsylvania.
• Preserve and expand educational, cultural and children’s programming.
• Amplify community voices across radio and television.
• Provide long-term stability through collaboration with WHYY.
For this plan to move forward, our community must stand behind it. Public media survives only because people like us choose to keep it strong.
Donate at wpsu.org/donate Every dollar goes directly to WPSU’s operations and long-term sustainability.
Advocate by telling friends, neighbors and community leaders why public media matters. Learn more at wpsu.org.
WPSU has shown up for our community for decades. Let’s show up for WPSU!
Nancy Chiswick
State College
