The Pennsylvania retail betting landscape just grew bigger as two of the state’s casinos celebrated the opening of their sportsbooks this past Thursday, the day that also saw the start of the NFL preseason.
Parx Casino in Bensalem debuted its permanent $10 million sportsbook this Thursday, while Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie launched its BetAmerica Sportsbook to enter the state’s sports betting frenzy.
Parx Casino was Pennsylvania’s fourth casino to open a betting facility following the legalization of the practice by state lawmakers and last year’s strikedown on the federal wagering ban by the US Supreme Court.
The casino debuted a temporary sportsbook in early January to offer sports betting action to its patrons, while a permanent facility was under development. As mentioned earlier, the casino spent $10 million on what it hails as “the best sportsbook in the country.”
The new sportsbook occupies 7,400 square feet on the casino floor. It features a 156-foot HD media wall that can broadcast up to 36 games at the same time. The facility also features six live teller windows, 196 seats, three VIP areas, and a 38′ x 14′ bar with 38 seats. There are 18 self-service betting kiosks that are located at the sportsbook as well as throughout the casino floor, Parx Poker Room, and Parx Beer Garden.
The betting facility provides bettors with the chance to wager on different sports, including professional and college football, basketball, baseball, and hockey as well as on tennis, MMA, boxing, and auto racing, among others.
The opening of Parx Casino Sportsbook follows the recent launch of Parx’s native iOS online sports betting app and of the property’s real-money online casino.
Presque Isle Downs & Casino Opens BetAmerica Sportsbook
One more Pennsylvania casino opened a sportsbook on Thursday, coinciding with the start of the NFL preseason. Presque Isle Downs & Casino cut the ribbon of its BetAmerica Sportsbook to officially enter Pennsylvania’s sports betting market.
The new sports betting facility features 50 kiosks, half of which are located at the newly established sportsbook area at the casino floor. The remaining 25 kiosks can be found in the Hub center bar, Bar 90, the casino’s High-Limit Room and in the non-smoking area.
The recent launch of the BetAmerica Sportsbook at Presque Isle Casino represents the official entry of the BetAmerica brand in the Pennsylvania sports gambling market. The brand is owned by Kentucky-based casino and racetrack operator Churchill Downs Incorporated and has already become present in several states, including neighboring New Jersey, since last year’s landmark SCOTUS ruling.
Churchill Downs took over Presque Isle Casino earlier this year after originally announcing that it would acquire the property last spring. In February, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board gave the green light to Presque Isle’s bid to add sports betting to its existing offering.
The property test-launched its betting facility late last month and celebrated its grand opening on Thursday. The BetAmerica Sportsbook at Presque Isle Casino is powered by European sports gambling technology provider SBTech.
Presque Isle Casino has previously revealed plans to go live with online and mobile betting, but these services are set to become available at a later point.
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