Sports betting has been in full swing within the state of Pennsylvania for quite some time via land-based venues. However, online betting options have been slow to launch. As new operations seem to be popping up left and right, Caesars Entertainment and Scientific Games Corporation has announced they will be launching an online sportsbook in the state by the end of the month.
Harrah’s Offering?
Caesars currently operates sports betting in the state via the Harrah’s Philadelphia casino, a venue that has yet to open an online option. It could be that Caesars will be launching via the brand, yet no specific details have been provided, including when the book will officially be live.
In the state, there are five digital sportsbooks in operation. By the end of this week, it is expected that ten sites will be approved for operations. Back in July, it was announced that online sports betting accounted for over 65% of the market in Pennsylvania.
The online sportsbook by Caesars and Scientific Games should be a success as the two are already partnered in five total states. They work together in New Jersey, Mississippi, North Carolina, Iowa, Illinois and of course, Pennsylvania.
In a press release on the matter, Christian Stuart, the Caesars Executive Vice President of Gaming and Interactive Entertainment said: “We’ve had incredibly successful sportsbook launches, and Indiana is continuing that trend. We look forward to seeing OpenSports further engage our players with the sleek user experience and high transaction volume we’ve come to expect from OpenSports.”
Mobile Gaming Boom
Across the United States, mobile gaming is really taking off. When it comes to sports betting, states with a mobile option are far more successful than those that do not provide online gaming. New Jersey was the first state to show just how much mobile gaming can affect the bottom line. The state has seen over 80% of their sports betting wagers come from mobile betting.
For Pennsylvania, the percentage of mobile wagers continues to climb. At 65% in July, it is expected that mobile sports betting will only continue to gain in popularity. As more sites launch, the state will only continue to bring in more revenues are more bets are placed.
Players tend to like mobile wagering best because they can place a bet from anywhere. With land-based sports betting, players have to be physically at the book to bet. The convenience factor makes mobile betting very appealing and because a player can wager from anywhere, they are willing to spend more.
With travel, players have to worry about gas, dining and other charges. With online, players simply bet what they want from home, when they want.
Moving on to Iowa
Once the Pennsylvania sportsbook launches, Caesars and Scientific Games will be looking ahead to other states. They plan on bringing mobile to the state of Iowa towards the end of this year. Scientific Games is considered a leader in the entertainment industry, creating quality games, systems and services for a wide spectrum of operators including land-based casinos, online gaming operators, sports betting and the lottery.
Commenting on the upcoming launch in Pennsylvania, Jordan Levin, the Group Chief Executive of SG Digital stated that with the powerful retail solution and mobile sports product of Scientific Games, the company will continue to take bold steps when it comes to the player experience.
It will certainly be interesting to see what the site has to offer and how well is fares once launched officially.
