SugarHouse Casino is set to open its sportsbook in Pennsylvania to the public on Thursday at 2pm local time as part of a testing period required by the state gaming regulator.
The testing period will run Thursday December 13 from 2pm until midnight and again on Friday December 14 during the same hours. Upon approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), regular sports betting operations at SugarHouse Casino will begin Saturday December 15 at 10am.
SugarHouse Casino will follow in the footsteps of Hollywood Casino, who went live with their sportsbook back on November 17. Prior to the full launch of its sportsbook, Hollywood Casino had to do live testing under the supervision of the PGCB before they were given the green light.
Back in 2016, SugarHouse Casino launched in the New Jersey market offering real money online casino games under Golden Nugget’s gaming license. It is therefore likely that SugarHouse Casino will use their experience in the New Jersey market to help them succeed in Pennsylvania.
Rivers Casino, Harrah’s Chester Downs and Marina, Parx Casino, and Mount Airy all got the go-ahead from the PGCB to offer sports bets to players in Pennsylvania, but we are currently waiting to see these casino put their sportsbook live.
SugarHouse Casino has also applied and been approved by the PGCB to offer online poker, slots and table games to players. It is expected that PA will allow SugarHouse along with other casinos and their online gaming partners to start offering real money games by early 2019.
What Else Can Be Expected To Happen in PA?
Back in early December, the PGCB gave approval for PokerStars to offer online poker, slots and table games in conjunction with land-based casino Mount Airy to players in Pennsylvania.
Approving PokerStars’ interactive gaming license was a necessary regulatory step for the online gaming operator to bring its suite of games to players of PA.
Beyond Pennsylvania, The Stars Group, who own PokerStars, has signed a twenty-year partnership with Eldorado Resorts that could see the pair bring sports, casino and poker to eleven US states pending legalization.
Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, and West Virginia are all within the sights of The Stars Group as Eldorado Resorts already has land-based casinos in these states. The pair will just have to wait for “license availability, state law and regulatory approvals” before they can move forward with bringing their online gaming products to market.
