HARRISBURG, Pa. – Online sports betting is now live at a Pennsylvania casino.
Regulators on Tuesday gave approval to SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia to begin a three-day public testing period of its online sports betting systems.
It went live at 4 p.m. and a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spokesman said that, if everything goes smoothly, then SugarHouse could begin taking online sports bets 24 hours a day on Friday.
Ultimately, gamblers who are at least 21 years old across Pennsylvania will be able to use computers, tablets and smart phones to bet on sporting events through casino web portals or mobile apps.
Counting SugarHouse, sports books are already open to gamblers at six of Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos and two off-track betting parlors. States are increasingly legalizing sports betting after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way last year.
Analysts from PlayPennsylvania expect more online sportsbooks to go live soon.
“There is no question that the growth of the Pennsylvania sports betting market has been slowed by the delayed launch of online apps,” said Jessica Welman, sports betting analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “The launch of sports betting apps will give us our first true look at Pennsylvania’s potential as a market, which we believe should rival New Jersey and eventually Nevada as the nation’s largest market.”
Online sports betting is legal in New Jersey and accounts for 80% of all sports betting accounts in the state, according to PlayPennsylvania. However, Pennsylvania has already generated over $125 million in sports bets since it was legalized in the Keystone State in November.
Previously, Pennsylvania sportsbooks only offered in-person betting and gambling sites and apps like DraftKings and FanDuel required users to physically be in New Jersey or another state with mobile betting in order to log in.
Officials say Parx Casino and Valley Forge Casino Resort are expected to follow in offering an online sportsbook, as well as popular site FanDuel. Four to six online sportsbooks are expected to launch before the NFL season kicks off in September.
(CBS Channel 3 in Philadelphia contributed)
