The Keystone State is inching closer to becoming the sixth state in the United States to offer sports betting with the most recent development being the approval of the sports betting license applications of three more casinos. On Wednesday, October 31, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board awarded Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino in Chester, SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia and Pittsburg-based Rivers Casino sports wagering licenses bringing the total number of licensees to seven – these licenses apply for both live and online sportsbooks within the state.
Harrah’s to Focus on Land-Based Offerings
During the meeting where the sports betting licenses were approved, Harrah’s was the first to make their case to the gaming control board. The casino was the third of the state’s licensed casino operators to petition for a sports wagering license in the Commonwealth. The company officially went public with its plans on September 24, a move that came as no surprise since Caesars, its parent company already operates online and on-site sports betting services in New Jersey and on-property sports wagering in both Nevada and Mississippi.
For their proposed sports betting establishment in Pennsylvania, the casino’s executives delivered a quick summary of some of the things that they hoped to include in their 4,332-square-foot sportsbook. These included plans for:
- Betting kiosks
- An odds board.
- Two horseracing terminals
- Six teller windows.
- Stadium-style seating.
- 40 flat screen TVs.
- An adjacent table games pit.
- Television packages featuring a huge number of games.
For its Pennsylvania sports betting plans, the casino has teamed up with Scientific Games which will be tasked with powering both the online and land-based sports betting offerings.
SugarHouse Begins Construction
SugarHosuse Casino has reportedly already begun construction on its 1,800-square-foot temporary sports betting facility across from its poker room’s north entrance. The temporary sports betting space will feature an on-site book, sports wagering cashiers as well as self-service kiosks when it launches somewhere around the beginning of December 2018.
The permanent location for its sportsbook is set to be on the central gaming floor which until now is occupied by the Lucky Red Lounge. SugarHouse plans to launch this permanent sportsbook at around the same time as its online and mobile betting services – a spring 2019 launch date has been floated around.
Rivers Also Building a Temporary Sports Books
During the meeting, officials from the Rush Street Gaming-owned Rivers Casino revealed that they are constructing a temporary sportsbook on the south gaming floor. This temporary space will include self-service books, an on-site sportsbook and cashier windows – operations on the site are expected to go live very early next month. The temporary space is already being constructed though the 3.000-square-feet space is only expected to accommodate 98 people.
Not to worry though, the permanent space will follow shortly after and will be located in the center of the gaming floor near the Level Lounge.