Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Pennsylvania became the first casino in the state to launch legal single-game betting. Penn National Gaming began the testing of its sports betting product on Thursday.
The general manager of Hollywood Casino, Dan Ihm said in a statement: “We are extremely appreciative for the tireless effort and support of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. They moved heaven and earth to get us to this point and we couldn’t be more excited to be Pennsylvania’s first sportsbook.”
The chief executive officer of Penn National, Timothy Wilmott said that the group was excited to be the first casino to offer sports wagering in the Keystone State. He said that enthusiasm around sports betting had been growing since the the federal ban was repealed by the the US Supreme Court in May. According to Wilmott, Penn National looked forward to providing its patrons with another great amenity to enjoy at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
Penn National’s official sportsbook partner is William Hill US, a company which has been hard at work forging deals with professional sports teams beyond Pennsylvania’s borders. To date, WillHill has become the official casino or sports betting partner of two NHL teams, the Vegas Golden Knights and the New Jersey Devils.
William Hill’s deal with the Vegas Golden Knights will allow fans to “engage through various media, advertising and promotional platforms.”
Pennsylvania now joins six other states (Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Delaware, Mississippi and West Virginia) that offer single game betting to their state-based customers.
It is expected that legal sports betting will become a huge industry in Pennsylvania, despite the 36% tax rate and the exorbitant $1o million license fee that operators need to be pay for a sports betting license.
At least six entities have applied for a license to operate sports wagering in Pennsylvania, namely Valley Forge, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Hollywood Casino at Penn National, Parx Casino, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and SugarHouse Casino.
