The Parx Casino retail sportsbook will very likely accept its first bet in January. The exact date is still to be determined.
As far as December goes, Parx customers have a chance to win $100 in cash to use for sports betting or the casino. The question is, how good are you at predicting college football bowl games?
The College Bowl Game Leaderboard Challenge is one of several free-to-play games available on the Parx casino website. The person who picks the most winners during the ongoing bowl season will win the cash prize.
Yes, several games have already been played, but there are still several more left to predict, including the Jan. 7 National Championship Game.
The website promo sums it up best:
It’s early in the bowl season and anyone can still win.
Pick the winners online
Parx will be launching its online sportsbook next month. This pick-the-winner contest is a completely separate platform available via the sports betting tab on the Parx casino website. Call it training camp for the real money deal.
There are several contests to choose from, including NFL Saturday Pick 6, Daily NBA Pick 5, and the NFL Pennsylvania Pick-Em. Top finishers earn free slot play, headline show tickets, and more.
The rules are pretty straightforward. Click the Play Now tab next located next to the College Leaderboard Challenge contest. The basic premise is picking the winners from the listed games with the point spreads. For those who can’t decide which teams to pick, players can elect to go with the favorites, most popular, or random. The system keeps a running tab of the standings.
Sports betting launching soon
Parx was the one the first Pennsylvania casinos approved for a sports betting license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). The Bensalem-based casino, along with the South Philadelphia Turf Club, got the go-ahead Oct. 3.
Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment own both properties.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National received licensing approval on the same date. On Nov. 17, the property located just outside of Harrisburg made history by opening Pennsylvania’s first legalized sportsbook.
Many anticipated that the Parx sportsbook would be opening sometime this month. PlayPennsylvania confirmed Parx was delaying its launch until January.
That same day, SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia and Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh held soft launches for their respective temporary sportsbooks. The common denominator between the three properties is that Kambi Group is the mutual bookmaking partner.
Following the retail launch, Parx will be able to unveil its online/mobile sportsbook. The guesstimate is sometime in the first quarter of the new year.
Kambi is the sports betting provider behind the market-leading DraftKings Sportsbook in New Jersey. Kambi also works with Parx. So, when Parx launches its online sportsbook, in-game wagering, straight bets, parlays, and teasers will likely be among the many betting options.
Parx Sportsbook preliminary plans
Parx will open its temporary sportsbook inside the 360 Lounge located on the casino floor. The space will include seven betting windows, a pair of 16 feet x 9 feet HD screens, along with 30 self-serve kiosks located throughout the gaming floor.
But this is just the temporary setup. A swanky $10 million permanent sportsbook is under construction. The space could be ready to go by the second quarter of next year.