Parx Casino, outside of Philadelphia, welcomes PA sports betting Thursday with the official opening of its sportsbook facility.
The formal opening follows a successful two-day testing period at Parx that began Tuesday. With Parx up and running, PA sports betting now includes four casinos, with more soon to arrive.
“Parx is expanding its portfolio of offerings to give patrons the absolute best of all types of (legalized) gaming, and sports wagering is just the latest stage in enhancing our customer offering,” said Matthew Cullen, Parx Senior VP of Interactive Gaming and Sports, in a statement.
But that’s not all
European supplier Kambi backs the PA sports betting operation at Parx. Within a news release covering the Parx opening, Kambi inserted another piece of Keystone State news:
With the Parx Casino sportsbook up and running, attention turns to launching additional Kambi-powered sportsbooks at Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment’s South Philadelphia Turf Club and Valley Forge Turf Club, with the former expected to be ready for regulatory testing next week.
The South Philadelphia Turf Club should grab attention because of its prime location. That Parx-owned betting shop sits in the shadow of Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field. Those are the respective homes of the Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles.
Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers fans also will benefit. The new book will be less than a mile from the Wachovia Complex. That means all four major professional sports teams in Philadelphia will have a PA sports betting operation within shouting distance.
The sportsbook also will open in time for the Super Bowl, traditionally the industry’s strongest betting day of the year.
Parx book here in the Nick of time
Sunday’s “double doink” missed field goal by the Chicago Bears provided a late Christmas gift for Parx and Kambi. The Eagles remained alive in the NFC Playoffs by way of that miss, and Parx will benefit this weekend.
While Nick Foles and the Eagles will be in New Orleans, Philly-area bettors can wager on the team at Parx and SugarHouse Casino. As the lowest-seeded team, the Eagles cannot play a home playoff game this year.
PA sports betting also is available at Rivers Casino, in Pittsburgh, and Hollywood Casino in Central Pennsylvania. The first two weeks of PA sports betting in November at Hollywood generated $500,000 in revenue on $1.4 million in handle.
December revenue figures for PA sports betting will arrive in mid-January. While a 35 percent hold likely will not be repeated, a month including four sportsbooks should drive major growth in handle.
