SugarHouse Casino, Philadelphia’s only full-blown gambling venue, will soon go by a new name as part of a series of upgrades planned for the property.
The gaming and entertainment complex is set to become Rivers Casino Philadelphia this fall, owner Rush Street Gaming announced on Wednesday. The rebrand is said to be part of the casino operator’s strategy to bring SugarHouse Casino in line with its Rivers-branded properties in Pittsburgh, Schenectady, New York, and Des Plaines, Illinois.
Rush Street Gaming is also understood to be looking to unify its online gambling and sports betting operations across different states under a single brand and platform.
The owner of SugarHouse Casino received a license to develop what would be the first full-scale commercial casino in the lucrative Philadelphia market in 2006. The property opened doors on Delaware Avenue along the Delaware River in 2010.
News about SugarHouse Casino’s upcoming rebrand emerge three years after the casino complex cut the ribbon on a $164 million expansion that more than doubled the property’s size to 260,000 square feet from 90,000 square feet. The project included an expanded gaming floor, a new poker room, a multipurpose event center, new dining options, and a covered parking garage, among other amenities.
New Name Comes with More Upgrades
Aside from its new name, SugarHouse Casino is also set to debut $15 million worth of upgrades later this year, property officials said Wednesday. The revamp project involves redoing one of the property’s signature restaurants, re-carpeting the entire casino floor, as well as new decorations.
The property is also gearing up preparations to launch a permanent “state of the art” sportsbook. SugarHouse Casino debuted a temporary sports betting facility last December to become the first property in the Philadelphia area to provide sports gambling services. Its sister casino – Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh – launched its own in-person betting operation at around the same time.
Late last month, the casino launched the state’s first online sports betting platform – SugarHouse Sportsbook. It also plans to join the state’s online casino space, pending approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Commenting on the property’s upcoming rebrand, Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin said Wednesday that “gaming in Pennsylvania has evolved tremendously” and that “keeping pace with the changing landscape has been paramount to our success.” The executive added that “creating a unified brand is another example of how we’re anticipating and responding to the competitive market for gaming.”
The planned upgrades, including the addition of new signage, are expected to be implemented in the next few months. As mentioned earlier, the rebrand is set to be completed this fall.
SugarHouse Casino is boosting its offering as The Cordish Companies is in the process of finalizing plans for the development of a $700 million hotel, casino, and entertainment complex in Philadelphia’s stadium district. Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia will put an end to SugarHouse Casino’s monopoly in Philadelphia, when it becomes operational.
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