Hollywood Casino At Penn National Race Course Sports Betting
Penn National to Be a Big Part of the Pennsylvania Sports Betting Scene
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Sports fans across the United States are watching eagerly as the business of sports betting unfolds. Since the US Supreme Court struck down the law that prohibited individual states from taking bets, the landscape of betting across the country has been under constant change.
Delaware and New Jersey were the first pair of states to open their doors to legal sports gambling. There have since been at least five additional states to come on board. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been an advocate of different types of legal online gambling for over a decade.
Soon, Pennsylvania will be launching an array of opportunities to wager on sports games as well. One of the early players preparing to establish a legal online sportsbook in the state is Penn National. Here is some history about how gambling began in Pennsylvania, plus a discussion of Penn National’s place in this push towards legal online sports betting statewide.
ContentsThe History of Online Betting in Pennsylvania
Many may not realize that Pennsylvania ranks second behind the State of Nevada in how much casino revenue the state generates. Pennsylvania was one of the early states to establish a statewide lottery. Act 91 was passed in 1971. About a decade later, state officials saw how a limited form of gambling could help generate much-needed revenue. While it took nearly two full decades to erase the negative stigma attached to gambling, The Pocono Mountain Resort became the first actual casino in PA.
During this same period in the early 1990s, there was a push for riverboat gambling on the state’s many waterways. This initiative seemed to battle the current of discontent in an upstream effort. Then governor Tom Ridge laid the decision at the feet of the Pennsylvania voters. It seemed to be an orchestrated effort on the part of his administration to distance themselves from any decision. As a result, the efforts to legalize riverboat gambling drowned as a result of a lack of public support.
- Construction is already underway at Hollywood Casino York, and it is expected to open in about 12 to 13 months, Penn National officials told the gaming board Wednesday. The facility, which will operate a single floor, will have 500 slot machines, 24 table games, a sports-betting and off-track betting parlor, as well as dining and beverage services.
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course was one of the first PA casinos to launch a land-based sportsbook. Hollywood has established an incredible partnership with sports betting leader William Hill. William Hill is not only its land-based sportsbook partner but will power Hollywood’s online sportsbook as.
- Penn National Gaming operates other casinos under the Hollywood Casino brand. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved a sports betting license for Hollywood Casino on October 3, 2018. On November 15, 2018, sports betting began at Hollywood Casino with a two-day test; official sports betting began on November 17, 2018.
The Outlook for Online Sports Betting in Pennsylvania
The process of getting casinos, then various types of online betting legalized in Pennsylvania was a difficult job. No one involved in the current push to open the doors for sports bettors in the Quaker State thinks it will hard this time. Late last October, Governor Tom Wolf signed Pennsylvania law HB 271. Within 12 months, the push for both online sports betting and brick and mortar locations has exploded. Some still believe that the tax rate on gambling operations and the fee to register are still too high.
Penn National Gaming launched sports betting at two of its Mississippi casino properties today, and will start at the Hollywood Casino property in West Virginia on Sept.
Pennsylvania taxes casinos and gambling venues at the rate of 36%. There is also a $10 million fee to apply for a license. There are many who feel these fees may be reduced because they actually leave the door for illegal operations open, if only slightly.
Pennsylvania Online Sports Betting and Penn National’s Sportsbook
Penn National seems to be one of the strongest horses in the race to become a leading sportsbook in Pennsylvania. They were the first to post the $10 million state required fee to obtain an official sports betting license. Even as noble a gesture as this might be, it still proves Penn National’s sincere interest.
Penn National brings an excellent resume to the table as well. They have one of the strongest reputations in the online gaming industry. A recent merger with Pinnacle Entertainment reinforced Penn National’s stability even more. A motivating factor behind the handing over of 10 million dollars to a state still working out the kinks of an online gambling setup are the modest estimates of earnings for Penn National.
In spite of an estimated $100 million estimate of costs necessary to activate the online operations, plus a number of small land-based casinos, the potential profitability from such operations is gigantic. This in and of itself is probably the biggest motivating factor prodding lawmakers make legal online sports betting a reality. Those who are on the fence must truthfully acknowledge that the wealth of benefits to the Commonwealth will be equally as enormous.
There will automatically be the revenue generated by fees collected from every entity that operates a sportsbook in the state, including Penn National. In addition, there will be a multitude of intrinsic benefits.
Fees will be taken in that aren’t directly tied to the state-earned fees that come from each wager. There will be building fees for new construction, including a plethora of associated business interests that will be necessary to augment the sports betting industry. Revenues are essential to run any operation. When a state’s profit margin can balloon, like the estimates from the capital earned from sports betting ventures predicts, look for a softening of any animosity towards sports gambling.
Hollywood Casino Taking Bets at Penn National Race Course
Penn National has already jumped out with an open sportsbook, less than 15 minutes from the Pennsylvania state capitol. Inside the Hollywood Casino, Penn National is offering game lines operated by Las Vegas bookmaker William Hill. It seems likely that when Pennsylvania’s online betting platforms are launched Penn National’s sportsbook will mirror online gaming options already available through the Hollywood Casino.
Hollywood Casino Bonus Codes and Promotions
Logically, Hollywood Casino will post different types of alluring promotional offers. These will target sports bettors as the Penn National sportsbook expands operations. Many of the same incentives that sports bettors are seeing in New Jersey will transfer to Pennsylvania. Look for things such as promo codes, matching deposit bonuses and matching first bet promotions to be essentially identical. New accounts will be tabbed for helping build repeat business. There will be attractive rewards similar to points programs and crowns awarded by New Jersey operated by FanDuel and DraftKings.
To remain as appealing as competitors, these same types of promotional rewards programs will be necessary. Since Penn National is one of the country’s leading gambling operations, look for some unique promotional offers as well. Ironically, sports bets have been placed on games since the first competition. For more than a century, these wagers had to be transferred under the table, so to speak. Sort of like a little kid trying to get away with passing notes in class.
The attitude towards gambling in general has changed dramatically from previous generations. Online casinos are growing more widely accepted. This reduction in the negative stigma attached to gambling is opening the door for legal sports betting. As the number of states who swing open their doors to sports bettors grows, look for the big players in the industry to lead the way. As Pennsylvania pushes forward in their own efforts to establish an efficient and profitable online betting operation, Penn National has positioned itself to be a primary player.
Free Betting News & Bonus OffersFind Out When You Can Legally Bet in Your StateThe wheels of government, both in passing laws and creating the necessary governing bodies and regulatory boards to carry out those laws, typically move at a glacier’s pace.
The lone exception, however, is when there is a several billion dollar pie at stake and everyone is clamoring for a slice.
It was at the end of 2017 that Pennsylvania passed its gaming law, allowing the state’s casinos to offer sports betting. This was done in anticipation of the US Supreme Court overturning a law that made it illegal for states to regulate sports betting.
The SCOTUS decision was handed down in May 2018, paving the way. Six months later, a Pennsylvania sportsbook took its first live sports bet. There are now a dozen retail sports betting
Rivers Sportsbook
| Status: | Operational |
| Address: | 777 Casino Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 |
Current opening hours are:
- Mondays through Thursdays: 10 a.m. to midnight
- Fridays: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Sundays: 9 a.m. to midnight
Located in the heart of Pittsburgh just a short walk from Heinz Field and PNC Park is the Rivers Sportsbook in the Rivers Casino. It boasts betting windows staffed 104 hours a week, self-service kiosks open all day long, and a beautiful location right on the Ohio River.
Live betting windows: 6
Self-service sports betting kiosks: 18
Audio/video: 10 HD TVs
Food/beverage: Bar and food menu available.
Software partner: Kambi
Online options: BetRivers
SugarHouse Sportsbook
| Status: | Operational |
| Address: | 1001 N. Delaware Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19125 |
(Opening hours are identical to Rivers Sportsbook’s.)
Philadelphia’s first casino, and now first sportsbook, is located on the Delaware River. The SugarHouse Sportsbook, situated directly across from the poker room in the SugarHouse Casino, is open every day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The casino itself is open 24 hours a day.
SugarHouse offers:
- Point spread
- Moneyline
- Alternative line
- Three-way moneyline
- Over/under
- Futures
All major team sports are available, as is boxing, MMA, golf, tennis and motor racing.
Live betting windows: 6
Self-service sports betting kiosks: 12
Audio/video: 12 HD TV monitors. A 14-by-7-foot video wall with odds display.
Food/beverage: Full-service bar and food menu available.
Software partner: Kambi
Online options: PlaySugarHouse.com PA
The Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
| Status: | Operational |
| Address: | 777 Hollywood Blvd., Grantville, PA 17028 |
Opening hours:
- Mondays through Fridays: 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.
- Saturdays and Sundays: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
The Hollywood Casino at Penn National became the first Pennsylvania casino to offer its customers an operating sportsbook when it launched in November 2018.
The sportsbook features individual viewing stations, a 50-foot wall of televisions, and sports wagers that range from football, baseball, and basketball to rugby, cricket, and cycling.
Simulcast racing takes place seven days a week, and its 12-month live racing schedule features a total of 172 days in 2019.
Powered by William Hill, the largest sportsbook provider in the United States, the app is expected to be ready and online sometime in 2019.
Live betting windows: 6
Self-service sports betting kiosks: Yes
Audio/video: Viewing stations. Odds-display monitors. 50-feet of wall space dedicated to TVs. More than 50 televisions. One 110-inch video screen.
Food/beverage: Food/Beverage available at nearby Skybox Sports Bar
Software partner: Kambi
Online options: PA sports betting app launching in 2020
The Sportsbook at Parx Casino
| Status: | Operational |
| Address: | 2999 Street Rd, Bensalem, PA 19020 |
Having just opened in January 2019, the new Sportsbook at Parx Casino gives the Philadelphia area yet another location to place sports bets.
Parx offers the following bet types:
- Point spread
- Moneyline
- Over/under
- Props
- Teaser wagering
- Futures
Bettors can place bets on:
- Football
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Hockey
- Soccer
- Golf
- Tennis
- Boxing
- MMA
- Motorsports
The sportsbook is open until midnight on Sundays and Mondays and until 1 a.m. the rest of the week. They offer simulcast horse racing seven days a week and live thoroughbred racing every Saturday through Tuesday.
Live betting windows: 7
Self-service sports betting kiosks: 45 (Available 24 hours)
Audio/video: 20 HD TVs. Two 16-by-9-foot video screens that split into four. Up to 28 games viewable at once.
Food/beverage: Full-service bar
Software partner: Kambi/GAN
Online options. Parx Sportsbook
South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook
| Status: | Operational |
| Address: | 700 Packer Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19148 |
Located next to Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field, right in the heart of the Philadelphia sports scene, is a second PA sportsbook operated by Parx.
The Turf Club has been simulcasting horse racing and providing off-track betting to the area since 1994, and while it will continue to do that, it now offers a full slate of sports on which to wager.
The Sportsbook at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino
| Status: | Operational |
| Address: | 777 Harrah’s Blvd, Chester, PA 19013 |
Owned by Caesars, which operates nearly 20 sportsbooks across the country, the new sportsbook at Harrah’s is located in a 4,300-square-foot, renovated racebook.
The sportsbook houses 40 flat-screen televisions, six live-teller windows, two horse racing terminals and a series of self-service kiosks, and its all just steps from the main casino.
Harrah’s also offers simulcast horse racing seven days a week and live harness racing from April through December in addition to all the standard sportsbook fare.
Harrah’s currently runs a fully functional casino and sportsbook app in New Jersey. We expect the same kind of integration when its app goes live in Pennsylvania.
FanDuel Sportsbook at the Valley Forge Casino
| Status | Operational |
| Address: | 1160 1st Ave, King of Prussia, PA 19406 |
FanDuel, which operates the successful sportsbook at The Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment venue in New Jersey, has partnered with the Valley Forge Casino to operate the new sportsbook there.
The book offers all the standard fare and events you would find at FanDuel’s New Jersey retail and online sportsbooks. There are even less-followed sports like darts and Aussie rules football are on offer.
With loads of experience operating mobile connectivity, both with its daily fantasy sports app and the FanDuel app, the app is the most popular option for online betting in the state.
The Sportsbook at Presque Isle Downs and Casino
| Status | Operational |
| Address: | 8199 Perry Hwy, Erie, PA 16509 |
If you’re a Pennsylvanian in the northwest corner of the state, don’t worry. Not all of the action is going to take place in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh or the middle of the state.
Presque Isle Downs, as part of its acquisition by Churchill Downs Inc., now offers both a BetAmerica retail sportsbooks and an online BetAmerica Sportsbook site.
Mount Airy Casino’s FOX Bet Sportsbook
Hollywood Casino At Penn National Race Course Sports Betting Sites
| Status: | Operational |
| Address: | 321 Woodland Rd. Mt. Pocono, PA 18344 |
Mount Airy Casino began offering retail sports betting and the FOX Bet online sportsbook during the 2019 football season.
Mohegan Sun Pocono’s Unibet Sportsbook
| Status: | Operational |
| Address: | 1280 PA-315 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 |
Hollywood Casino At Penn National Race Course Sports Betting Picks
Mohegan Sun was one of the late adapters for sports betting, but the casino managed to beat some bigger players to market after partnering with Kindred, a sports betting operator in Europe.
Hollywood Casino At Penn National Race Course Sports Betting Odds
The casino operates a Unibet retail sportsbook at Mohegan Sun Pocono and plans to offer one at the Lehigh Downs off-track betting parlor. It also offers Unibet Online Sportsbook.