Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control board hosted a meeting to take care of several needs within the gambling industry. One such issue was the presentation of sports betting plans by the Mohegan Sun Pocono. The group was featured during the recent meeting showcasing what they hoped to offer for betting fans in the state.
During the recent meeting, the Mohegan Sun property debuted their plans for a new sportsbook facility as well as online betting. The presentation was lacking a racebook and the Gaming Control Board was concerned as to why one was not included.
Partnerships and Plans
The Mohegan Sun Pocono has partnered with Kindred and Pala Interactive in order to get started in the sports betting industry. A partnership was signed earlier in the year with the Kindred Group with the property set to use the company’s Unibet brand. The plans for the sportsbook include a ton of signage involving the Unibet brand.
When it comes to the online sports betting offering, Mohegan Sun Pocono will be working with Pala Interactive. Conditional approval was given for the interactive manufacturing license during the meeting this past Wednesday.
Within the sportsbook, the Mohegan Sun Pocono will be using Novomatic to provide kiosk wagering. Self-service terminals will bee added to the venue, including on the casino floor and within the sportsbook to allow customers to wager whenever they like without the need to visit the cashier.
Retail Plans
The sportsbook at the Mohegan will be located off the main entrance of the casino. The operator would like to have services ready by the upcoming football season. The space will be 1,130 square feet in size, which is a little small when considering other sportsbooks across the US. The facility will be able to serve 75 customers.
The facility is expected to offer bets on the NFL, Tennis, Rugby, NBA, Boxing and the NCAA among other markets. Betting options should include parlays, moneylines, in-play wagers, straight bets and prop bets. Reportedly, the environment of the sportsbook will be similar to the one at Resorts, which is a partner property of the Mohegan in the state of New Jersey.
The Gaming Control Board members noted that the plans of the Mohegan did not include a racebook. This was odd as the casino was given a gaming license initially due to having the status of being a racino. The board felt this was odd because other venues have included racebook plans involving their sportsbook.
The state’s Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association was not happy with the exclusion. The group felt that the Mohegan Sun did not want to offer it and they want to hurry and get started, without adding all the components from the beginning.
A member of the Board stated that there needed to be evidence of synergism between betting on races and sports. According to the officials of the venue, they will have a racebook. It was pointed out that the limited technology of the sportsbook will only allow the casino to offer so much.
The Office of Enforcement Counsel has been requested to include the venue addressing the issue of horse racing as part of their conditional approval.
