Three Pennsylvania Casinos Make Plans To Offer Sports Betting

Three casinos are planning to offer sports betting in Pennsylvania, pending approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). The latest to apply for sports betting license is Harrah’s Philadelphia. Two other casinos, Parx Casino in Bensalem and Penn National in Grantville have already filed their application.

Based on temporary rules, the PGCB allows casinos to offer in-person and online sports betting on multiple international sports as well as collegiate and professional domestic sports. The casinos are required to use geo-location technology to make sure no online bets are being made outside Pennsylvania’s state borders. In July we also reported Pennsylvania casinos were finally applying for their iGaming licences.

Penn National was the first casino to apply for sports betting license and intends to offer sports betting at the earliest. However, that isn’t exactly in the hands of the casino as it needs to get its sports betting licensed approved by the PGCB.

Penn National is also planning to build a sports wagering area within its premises and will also launch an online sportsbook. Penn National’s initial plan was to have sports betting in place by the start of the NFL season but the Gaming Control Board has been in no hurry to approve licenses. The reason for the slow processing is because the PGCB wants to do it right the first time and make no mistakes in the process.

Penn National and Parx Casino filed their applications on August 17 and 24 respectively. The Gaming Control Board will look at the first two petitions at a meeting on Wednesday. Once the first three approvals are granted, more casinos will likely follow suit. The owners of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs will likely contemplate on adding sports gambling as well.

Sports Wagering Up And Running in Nearby States

Sports betting is already in place in neighboring states with Delaware recording $22 million in sports wagers since it started in June. While in New Jersey, the total bets placed by gamblers in August now stand at $95 million, according to state records.

Board spokesman Dough Harbach declines to give a fixed time frame on giving the green light to sports betting, but said they need to come up with a decision within four months. The meeting on 03 Oct hopes to gather more information on sports wagering.

Democratic state Rep. Rob Matzie expressed his disappointment at the slow rollout of sports betting in Pennsylvania. Matzie actively lobbied for the legalization of sports betting in the state and is not impressed with the slow pace of the PGCB.