Parx Casino ® gaming day is 6am - 5:59am. Free slot play is non-cashable and electronic table games are excluded. Free slot play is non-cashable and electronic table games are excluded. Must earn at least 10 points in a single gaming day to qualify for Xtra Play. Parx is killing it. Parx Casino has been tearing it up on the retail sportsbook front. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) authorized Parx to begin sportsbook operations in January of this year and have now opened three retail sportsbook locations. Their first sportsbook opened in January 2019 at their main casino location, in the Bensalem area of Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania is a state chock-full of options for the horse bettor, both live and off-track betting parlors (OTBs). There are six facilities within the state that offer live racing and horse betting most of the year.

All those tracks also offer simulcast racing from tracks around the country. In addition, several of the state’s casino interests operate standalone OTB facilities in various locations around the Keystone State.

Pennsylvania horse racing facilities – Live and OTB

First and foremost, there are six properties in Pennsylvania that host live horseracing for wager. The tracks are designated for either thoroughbred or harness racing. They are (location in parenthesis):

Thoroughbred

• Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course (Grantville)
• Parx Casino and Racing (Bensalem)
• Presque Isle Downs & Casino (Erie)

Harness

• Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack (Chester)
• The Meadows Racetrack and Casino (Washington)
• Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs (Wilkes-Barre)

Each of these properties also offers simulcast wagering from tracks around the country. However, four of these operators also own standalone facilities throughout the state.

Parx Turf Clubs

Parx Racing has opened five facilities around the Philadelphia area throughout the years of Pennsylvania off-track betting. There is now just one location that remains open. They are collectively known as “turf clubs.”

South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook

South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook is in the heart of Philadelphia’s sports district. The club is located at the southeast corner of Packer Avenue and South Darien Street. It is one of two OTBs that also functions as a PA sportsbook.

In fact, visitors to Citizens Bank Park could conceivably park at the facility. South Philadelphia Turf Club is across the street from Lot Q at the home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Just to the south are Lincoln Financial Field and the Wells Fargo Center. These two venues host the Philadelphia Eagles and the Philadelphia 76ers/Philadelphia Flyers. In short, the turf club basically overlooks all the major Philadelphia sports arenas.

To capitalize on this location, the club features a glass-enclosed dining area that offers views of the stadiums and the Philadelphia skyline. The facility also offers 27,000 square feet of space and numerous television screens for patrons.

The Oaks Race and Sportsbook (Permanently Closeed)

The Oaks Race and Sportsbook, formerly known as Valley Forge Turf Club, was located just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, just south of Egypt Road. It was a combination racebook and retail sports betting facility.

After closing in mid-March, 2020 due to state-mandated coronavirus closures, it never re-opened.

Northeast Turf Club (Permanently Closed)

Northeast Turf Club was located in the Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia, at the northern corner of the intersection between Cottman and Bustleton Avenues.

It is no longer in operation.

Penn National off-track wagering

Casino company Penn National used to own and operate two off-track wagering facilities in the central part of Pennsylvania. Both are since shuttered.

Penn National Lancaster (Permanently Closed)

The Lancaster location for Penn National was at the intersection of the Lincoln Highway East and South Oakview Road, in East Towne Centre, southwest of the intersection. It is no longer in operation.

Penn National York (Permanently Closed)

The Penn National off-track facility in York was on the north side of Loucks Road (Highway 30), just to the west of I-83. It appears to be no longer in operation.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs is the owner/operator of two off-track facilities in Pennsylvania. The Wilkes-Barre casino chose to brand both facilities as “The Downs.”

There was also a third facility in Carbondale. However, it no longer appears on the Mohegan Sun website, and Google lists the venue as permanently closed.

The Downs at East Stroudsburg

The Downs at East Stroudsberg is located in the Eagles Glen Mall parking lot off Route 80. As the facility tells it, this location is in the heart of the Poconos.

The venue features several large televisions and a themed sports bar. The Downs broadcasts and accepts wagers on both harness and thoroughbred racing. On the first Saturday of each month, customers can enter handicapping contests for big prizes.

The Downs at Lehigh Valley

The Downs at Lehigh Valley is located at the western corner of Airport Road and Airport Center Road in Allentown. Unlike some of the other facilities, this is a proper venue for off-track betting.

In fact, it is the largest OTB location in Pennsylvania, clocking in at 28,000 square feet of gaming space. The facility features both a large central bar and a full-service dining room. It is convenient for customers in Allentown, Easton, and Bethlehem.

Soon it will offer retail sports betting in addition to horse racing too.

Meadows off-track betting

The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington has a somewhat rocky history with operating OTB venues. The property has opened three of them over the years. However, only one of them remains at this time.

Meadows Harmar

Its lone location is in Harmar, just northeast of Pittsburgh. The property is located on Anchor Drive, just east of the intersection between the Allegheny Valley Expressway and PA-910.

Meadows Harmar offers a full-service restaurant and bar that can seat over 100 patrons. The property itself features 250 television screens and an outdoor viewing deck.

Meadows Harmar is also less than 3 miles from the famous Oakmont Country Club. The club has hosted numerous well-known golf tournaments, including the 2016 US Open.

Philadelphia Eagles and repeat-NCAA champions Villanova Wildcats fans are all over the Philadelphia area.

But watching sports events in Pennsylvania is getting even more exciting for fans who enjoy betting on their favorite teams.

SugarHouse Sportsbook was the first Philadelphia sportsbook to hit the market on May 31. That gave it nearly a month-long headstart over the competition. Its 100% deposit bonus up to $250 with the bonus code 250MATCH is another good reason why the app is poised to be a market leader.

The following Philadelphia-area casinos all offer PA retail sports betting:

• The Oaks Race and Sportsbook

Philadelphia-area PA sportsbooks

SugarHouse Casino

Having partnered with Kambi, SugarHouse is one Pennsylvania casino based in Philadelphia, more specifically in the hip Fishtown neighborhood. Having an established sports betting platform in New Jersey should make the transition to Pennsylvania an easy one, especially for users who have already created accounts. So, when it launched on May 31, plenty of customers were more than familiar with the interface.

FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino Resort

Valley Forge, owned by Boyd Gaming, is located in King of Prussia, PA, less than an hour drive from Center City via the Schuylkill Expressway.

Far more popular than the retail sportsbook is the FanDuel online betting app though. It is the clear market leader in Pennsylvania, where over 80% of all bets are placed online.

Parx Casino Oaks Golf

Mount Airy Casino Resort

Based in Mount Pocono, PA, Mount Airy Casino Resort is about a 90-minute drive from Center City, but if the location is too long of a haul for you, you can always take advantage of the FOX Bet online sportsbook app. Mount Airy and The Stars Group partnered together on the site, which offers a wealth of promotions centered around the big FOX Sports personalities, like Colin Cowherd.

Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack

Harrah’s is located just outside of Philadelphia in Chester, PA, about a 10-minute ride from Philadelphia International Airport. The property received licensing approval from the PGCB on Oct. 31, 2018. The Harrah’s Philadelphia Sportsbook launched in January 2019. An online betting app should come sometime in 2020.

Parx Casino

The top-grossing casino in the Keystone State is located in Bensalem, PA, about a 30-minute drive from Center City. The property, owned by Greenwood Gaming, and powered by Kambi has plans for a closed wi-fi network allowing customers to place wagers while on the casino floor. The Parx app debuted in June 2019.

South Philadelphia Turf Club and Oaks Race and Sportsbook

There are two different off-track betting facilities (OTBs) for Philadelphia bettors to choose from. One is in the literal heart of the Philadelphia sports scene, Stadium Park. South Philadelphia Turf Club has not exactly lived up to the lofty expectations of its location. That is not so much the fault of the OTB, though it is relatively run-down compared to the sparkling new casino sportsbooks. It is more that bettors are excited to bet on their phones inside Lincoln Financial Field or the Wells Fargo Center rather than nearby.

The Oaks is in the Philadelphia suburbs, near Valley Forge. It has a modest retail sportsbook.

Both OTBs are owned and operated by Parx.

Major Philadelphia sports betting event

• NBA Finals & NBA Christmas Day
• NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
• Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown

Setting the Philadelphia sports scene

Parx Casino Horse Racing

Philadelphia represents in all of the major professional sports leagues:

• NFL: Philadelphia Eagles
• NBA: Philadelphia 76ers
• NHL: Philadelphia Flyers
• MLB: Philadelphia Phillies
• MLS: Philadelphia Union

There are several Division I schools around Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Big 5 is a huge draw during college basketball season.

The Philadelphia-area Division I schools are:

• Drexel University
• La Salle University
• St. Joseph’s University
• Temple University
• University of Pennsylvania

Villanova campus is located within the Philadelphia suburbs, but the NCAA national champion Wildcats play several of their home games at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The national championship parade was held in Center City.

Other Division I schools located nearby include:

Parx Casino Oaks Golf Course

• University of Delaware
• Delaware State University

PA sports betting

Legalized sports betting in Pennsylvania has generated its share of buzz. The ball started bouncing in Pennsylvania’s favor in May 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was unconstitutional.

Pennsylvania casinos now have the option of applying for a license to add online and retail sports betting. Nine Philadelphia-area casino operators already paid the required $10 million licensing fee.

New Jersey and Delaware may have gotten a head start, but now Pennsylvania is rapidly developing a robust retail and online sports betting industry.