Hollywood Casino At Penn National Race Course Sports Betting

The wheels of government, both in passing laws and creating the necessary governing bodies and regulatory boards to carry out those laws, typically move at a glacier's pace.

The lone exception, however, is when there is a several billion dollar pie at stake and everyone is clamoring for a slice.

Penn National Gaming announced they will begin two live money sports betting test days at Hollywood Casino. The purpose of the test days is to ensure Hollywood Casino's staff and the equipment. Sports betting is here, and Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course is your 50-yard-line ticket to odds, point spreads and over/unders. Betting on sports has never been easier. However, the partnership between William Hill and Hollywood Casino/Penn National Gaming ended in Oct. The retail sportsbooks at Meadows Casino and Hollywood Casino are now powered by Kambi odds. Penn National Gaming announced that it entered into multiyear agreements for online sports betting and iGaming with big-name sports betting. The Hollywood Casino at Penn National became the first Pennsylvania casino to offer its customers an operating sportsbook when it launched in November 2018. The sportsbook features individual viewing stations, a 50-foot wall of televisions, and sports wagers that range from football, baseball, and basketball to rugby, cricket, and cycling.

It was at the end of 2017 that Pennsylvania passed its gaming law, allowing the state's casinos to offer sports betting. This was done in anticipation of the US Supreme Court overturning a law that made it illegal for states to regulate sports betting.

The SCOTUS decision was handed down in May 2018, paving the way. Six months later, a Pennsylvania sportsbook took its first live sports bet. There are now a dozen retail sports betting

Rivers Sportsbook

Current opening hours are:

• Mondays through Thursdays: 10 a.m. to midnight
• Fridays: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Sundays: 9 a.m. to midnight

Located in the heart of Pittsburgh just a short walk from Heinz Field and PNC Park is the Rivers Sportsbook in the Rivers Casino. It boasts betting windows staffed 104 hours a week, self-service kiosks open all day long, and a beautiful location right on the Ohio River.

Live betting windows: 6
Self-service sports betting kiosks: 18
Audio/video: 10 HD TVs
Food/beverage: Bar and food menu available.
Software partner: Kambi
Online options: BetRivers

SugarHouse Sportsbook

(Opening hours are identical to Rivers Sportsbook's.)

Philadelphia's first casino, and now first sportsbook, is located on the Delaware River. The SugarHouse Sportsbook, situated directly across from the poker room in the SugarHouse Casino, is open every day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The casino itself is open 24 hours a day.

SugarHouse offers:

• Point spread
• Moneyline
• Alternative line
• Three-way moneyline
• Over/under
• Futures

All major team sports are available, as is boxing, MMA, golf, tennis and motor racing.

Live betting windows: 6
Self-service sports betting kiosks: 12
Audio/video: 12 HD TV monitors. A 14-by-7-foot video wall with odds display.
Food/beverage: Full-service bar and food menu available.
Software partner: Kambi
Online options: PlaySugarHouse.com PA

The Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course

Opening hours:

• Mondays through Fridays: 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• Saturdays and Sundays: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.

The Hollywood Casino at Penn National became the first Pennsylvania casino to offer its customers an operating sportsbook when it launched in November 2018.

The sportsbook features individual viewing stations, a 50-foot wall of televisions, and sports wagers that range from football, baseball, and basketball to rugby, cricket, and cycling.

Simulcast racing takes place seven days a week, and its 12-month live racing schedule features a total of 172 days in 2019.

Powered by William Hill, the largest sportsbook provider in the United States, the app is expected to be ready and online sometime in 2019.

Live betting windows: 6
Self-service sports betting kiosks: Yes
Audio/video: Viewing stations. Odds-display monitors. 50-feet of wall space dedicated to TVs. More than 50 televisions. One 110-inch video screen.
Food/beverage: Food/Beverage available at nearby Skybox Sports Bar
Software partner: Kambi
Online options: PA sports betting app launching in 2020

The Sportsbook at Parx Casino

Having just opened in January 2019, the new Sportsbook at Parx Casino gives the Philadelphia area yet another location to place sports bets.

Parx offers the following bet types:

• Point spread
• Moneyline
• Over/under
• Props
• Teaser wagering
• Futures

Bettors can place bets on:

• Football
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Hockey
• Soccer
• Golf
• Tennis
• Boxing
• MMA
• Motorsports

The sportsbook is open until midnight on Sundays and Mondays and until 1 a.m. the rest of the week. They offer simulcast horse racing seven days a week and live thoroughbred racing every Saturday through Tuesday.

Hollywood Casino At Penn National Race Course Sports Betting Picks

Live betting windows: 7
Self-service sports betting kiosks: 45 (Available 24 hours)
Audio/video: 20 HD TVs. Two 16-by-9-foot video screens that split into four. Up to 28 games viewable at once.
Food/beverage: Full-service bar
Software partner: Kambi/GAN
Online options. Parx Sportsbook

South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook

Located next to Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field, right in the heart of the Philadelphia sports scene, is a second PA sportsbook operated by Parx.

The Turf Club has been simulcasting horse racing and providing off-track betting to the area since 1994, and while it will continue to do that, it now offers a full slate of sports on which to wager.

The Sportsbook at Harrah's Philadelphia Casino

Owned by Caesars, which operates nearly 20 sportsbooks across the country, the new sportsbook at Harrah's is located in a 4,300-square-foot, renovated racebook.

The sportsbook houses 40 flat-screen televisions, six live-teller windows, two horse racing terminals and a series of self-service kiosks, and its all just steps from the main casino.

Harrah's also offers simulcast horse racing seven days a week and live harness racing from April through December in addition to all the standard sportsbook fare.

Harrah's currently runs a fully functional casino and sportsbook app in New Jersey. We expect the same kind of integration when its app goes live in Pennsylvania.

FanDuel Sportsbook at the Valley Forge Casino

FanDuel, which operates the successful sportsbook at The Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment venue in New Jersey, has partnered with the Valley Forge Casino to operate the new sportsbook there.

The book offers all the standard fare and events you would find at FanDuel's New Jersey retail and online sportsbooks. There are even less-followed sports like darts and Aussie rules football are on offer.

With loads of experience operating mobile connectivity, both with its daily fantasy sports app and the FanDuel app, the app is the most popular option for online betting in the state.

Opening hours:

• Mondays through Fridays: 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• Saturdays and Sundays: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.

The Hollywood Casino at Penn National became the first Pennsylvania casino to offer its customers an operating sportsbook when it launched in November 2018.

The sportsbook features individual viewing stations, a 50-foot wall of televisions, and sports wagers that range from football, baseball, and basketball to rugby, cricket, and cycling.

Simulcast racing takes place seven days a week, and its 12-month live racing schedule features a total of 172 days in 2019.

Powered by William Hill, the largest sportsbook provider in the United States, the app is expected to be ready and online sometime in 2019.

Live betting windows: 6
Self-service sports betting kiosks: Yes
Audio/video: Viewing stations. Odds-display monitors. 50-feet of wall space dedicated to TVs. More than 50 televisions. One 110-inch video screen.
Food/beverage: Food/Beverage available at nearby Skybox Sports Bar
Software partner: Kambi
Online options: PA sports betting app launching in 2020

The Sportsbook at Parx Casino

Having just opened in January 2019, the new Sportsbook at Parx Casino gives the Philadelphia area yet another location to place sports bets.

Parx offers the following bet types:

• Point spread
• Moneyline
• Over/under
• Props
• Teaser wagering
• Futures

Bettors can place bets on:

• Football
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Hockey
• Soccer
• Golf
• Tennis
• Boxing
• MMA
• Motorsports

The sportsbook is open until midnight on Sundays and Mondays and until 1 a.m. the rest of the week. They offer simulcast horse racing seven days a week and live thoroughbred racing every Saturday through Tuesday.

Hollywood Casino At Penn National Race Course Sports Betting Picks

Live betting windows: 7
Self-service sports betting kiosks: 45 (Available 24 hours)
Audio/video: 20 HD TVs. Two 16-by-9-foot video screens that split into four. Up to 28 games viewable at once.
Food/beverage: Full-service bar
Software partner: Kambi/GAN
Online options. Parx Sportsbook

South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook

Located next to Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field, right in the heart of the Philadelphia sports scene, is a second PA sportsbook operated by Parx.

The Turf Club has been simulcasting horse racing and providing off-track betting to the area since 1994, and while it will continue to do that, it now offers a full slate of sports on which to wager.

The Sportsbook at Harrah's Philadelphia Casino

Owned by Caesars, which operates nearly 20 sportsbooks across the country, the new sportsbook at Harrah's is located in a 4,300-square-foot, renovated racebook.

The sportsbook houses 40 flat-screen televisions, six live-teller windows, two horse racing terminals and a series of self-service kiosks, and its all just steps from the main casino.

Harrah's also offers simulcast horse racing seven days a week and live harness racing from April through December in addition to all the standard sportsbook fare.

Harrah's currently runs a fully functional casino and sportsbook app in New Jersey. We expect the same kind of integration when its app goes live in Pennsylvania.

FanDuel Sportsbook at the Valley Forge Casino

FanDuel, which operates the successful sportsbook at The Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment venue in New Jersey, has partnered with the Valley Forge Casino to operate the new sportsbook there.

The book offers all the standard fare and events you would find at FanDuel's New Jersey retail and online sportsbooks. There are even less-followed sports like darts and Aussie rules football are on offer.

With loads of experience operating mobile connectivity, both with its daily fantasy sports app and the FanDuel app, the app is the most popular option for online betting in the state.

The Sportsbook at Presque Isle Downs and Casino

If you're a Pennsylvanian in the northwest corner of the state, don't worry. Not all of the action is going to take place in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh or the middle of the state.

Presque Isle Downs, as part of its acquisition by Churchill Downs Inc., now offers both a BetAmerica retail sportsbooks and an online BetAmerica Sportsbook site.

Mount Airy Casino's FOX Bet Sportsbook

Mount Airy Casino began offering retail sports betting and the FOX Bet online sportsbook during the 2019 football season.

Mohegan Sun Pocono's Unibet Sportsbook

Mohegan Sun was one of the late adapters for sports betting, but the casino managed to beat some bigger players to market after partnering with Kindred, a sports betting operator in Europe.

The casino operates a Unibet retail sportsbook at Mohegan Sun Pocono and plans to offer one at the Lehigh Downs off-track betting parlor. It also offers Unibet Online Sportsbook.

The final Pennsylvania satellite casino found a home. The second of two mini-casino properties secured by Penn National will call Morgantown, PA home. The Central Pennsylvania township splits the difference between Philadelphia and Harrisburg.

More technically, the casino will be in Caernarvon Township in Berks County. It is located near the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76), I-176, and the Morgantown Expressway (Rt. 10).

Hollywood Casino Morgantown is a $111 million project with slot machines, tables games, and, hopefully, a race and sportsbook.

From West Cocalico to Morgantown

The license for Hollywood Casino Morgantown was the last one auctioned off this past spring. Penn National spent $50 million on Hollywood Casino York, creating a southern buffer from its flagship Hollywood Casino and other mini-casinos.

The West Cocalico selection on April 4 created an Eastern PA buffer for the property. The new Morgantown property will accomplish the same effect.

Compared to Hollywood Casino York, Hollywood Casino Morgantown's license was a steal at just a hair over the minimum price of $7.5 million.

While Hollywood Casino York will go into an old Sears in York Galleria, Hollywood Casino Morgantown will be in a free-standing structure on a 36-acre plot.

Penn National Gaming CEO Timothy J. Wilmott shed some light on selecting a location:

'While we explored numerous locations for our Category 4 casino in and around Berks County, the site we selected is unparalleled in terms of ease of access to three major arteries. Hollywood Casino Morgantown is ideally situated to generate new revenues from the more densely populated suburbs to the west of Philadelphia, while further protecting our existing market share at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.'

First definite plans to offer mini-casino sports betting

The last of the mini-casino plans contained a first for the Category 4 casinos. During the announcement for Hollywood Casino York, PGCB Director of Communication Doug Harbach confirmed mini-casinos could eventually offer PA sports betting.

In order to do so, mini-casinos will need to follow a similar procedure as South Philadelphia Turf Club did with Parx Casino. There does not need to be any more money on top of Penn National's $10 million license. However, the satellite will need to be vetted by PGCB.

If Parx is any indication, Morgantown and York cannot take wagers until Hollywood Casino proves it can run sports betting to the PGCB's liking. Given the timeline, that should not be an issue. Penn National is hoping to take bets starting next month. Meanwhile, neither mini-casino project is really off the ground.

Hollywood York public hearing is tomorrow

Hollywood Casino At Penn National Race Course Sports Betting Sites

In fact, Hollywood Casino York still has a big hurdle to clear. Thursday, the PGCB will host a public hearing on the project.

To put it bluntly, many citizens near the York location are less than thrilled with the location. The township had opted out of a mini-casino before Penn National convinced the town leadership to opt back in.

Hollywood Casino At Penn National Race Course Sports Betting Results

This will be an opportunity to publicly oppose the project before final details are set in stone.