Harrah’s casino, in chester, has recently been granted permission for a sports betting license, allowing the venue to take wagers from punters on sports events.
After meeting with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on Wednesday the 31st October, Harrah’s confirmed that their application for the $10m license was successful – although specifics as to when the license will be issued are not yet clear.
Harrah’s Philadelphia Senior Vice President and General Manager Chris Albrecht stated: “We thank the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and look forward to working with them to bring a best-in-class sports betting offering to market. We know Pennsylvanians are passionate sports fans and we are working hard to be ready to launch a sports book at Harrah’s Philadelphia along with a mobile product when first given the go ahead.”
Harrah’s Casino first filed the application just last month, and cited its success offering table and slot games at the Chester casino and racetrack as proof that the company can offer punters a fair and trustworthy gambling experience. At the meeting on Wednesday, Harrah’s executives presented their game play to regulators, and the presentation indicated that Harrah’s intends to build a massive 4,322-square-foot sportsbook facility inside its exciting building – and they also plan to expand their food and drinks hall.
The presentation also revealed that the proposed new sportsbook facility will reside next to the casino’s table games, and will feature 40 flat-screen televisions, with different screens showcasing different events, including all major sports leagues as well as some international and college sports packages.
The facility is also going to include a large odds board, six teller windows, electronic self-betting kiosks, two horseracing terminals, and stadium-style seating.
When detailing how they would look to run the facility, Harrah’s noted that they expect to be able to draw from the experience acquired from its parent company, Caesars Entertainment Corp., which is already well-versed in regulated sports betting markets, offering punters betting facilities in Nevada, Mississippi and New Jersey.
Applications for sports betting licenses have been steady since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled back in May that sports betting should begin the process of legalization and regulation throughout the United States, and Harrah’s is the 5th casino to apply for a license so far. Wednesday’s meeting saw regulators also approve Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and SugarHouse Casino Philadelphia for sports betting licenses – and this follows the license approval to Parx Casino in Bensalem and the Hollywood Casino in Dauphin County, who were approved back on October 1st.
While Harrah’s are yet to reach an agreement for when they will begin building their new facility, Aimee Cicero said in a statement that it should be within the upcoming months.
“This was just another sort of step in the process here, but we don’t have a ‘go-live’ date,” said Seth Palansky, vice president of corporate communications for Caesars Interactive Entertainment. “You have to get your software in and approved for online, that sort of thing. We don’t know if we will get it in this (football) season or not. The whole regulatory process is a, you know, process, and it’s hard … It may take six months from now to get through the gaming control process or it may take six weeks. We don’t control that process.”
PGCB spokesman Doug Harbach went on to say: “From our standpoint, there might be some additional applications for any partners they have for licensing, and then eventually we’d have to make sure the equipment is tested and works correctly, and then have some test sessions on-site just before the opening so we can sign off on it opening to the public.”
When asked about time-scales for the new facility to be completed, Harbach noted that he expects the actual building of the facility will take the longest.
Harrah’s has stated that along with accepting on-site sports betting, it will also look to offering mobile and interactive sports wagering at its Chester casino – and in order to fulfill these new ventures, the casino has expressed hopes of entering into agreements with Caesars Interactive Entertainment LLC (as an operator of the interactive sports wagering services), and Scientific Games Corporation (SG Gaming) as the provider of equipment and the actual sports wagering engine.
Harrah’s have also noted that adding sports wagering to its casino facilities will add 10 new permanent jobs – and the application submitted by the casino states that it promotes hiring from “diverse groups and Commonwealth residents” – something that will only serve to help their cause.
While Harrah’s is yet to declare any firm financial predictions for the move, they noted that there is already a vibrant underground sports betting market in Pennsylvania – and while it remains to be seen how much of this underground betting will make its way to legal and regulated establishments – it’s clear there is a market.
Cicero from Harrah’s ended by saying: “I don’t think anybody’s making any great speculations on that because this is a brand new market,” he said. “I just don’t think anybody knows.”