Parx Sportsbook looks like it will be one of the first PA sports betting sites. As one of the eight casinos to offer sports betting in PA, including at two of its sub-brands at the Turf Club and Valley Forge Turf Club, the Parx online sports betting app is poised to be among the early leaders in the state. Let’s take a look at what to expect.
| Sportsbook | Promo code | Bonus | Expiration date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parx Sportsbook | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Officials with Parx believe their app will be ready to launch in April, 2019. However, PA state regulators have previously said online sports betting will launch in the state in June or July. Parx’s sports betting app should launch sometime between April and July.
For its online sports betting offering, Parx is running a hybrid of the popular Kambi market, the GAN online betting platform, and their own special sauce to offer a custom experience to PA bettors. This means they will likely offer much of the same action as DraftKings Sportsbook and presumed rival SugarHouse Sportsbook, both of which are backed by Kambi.
But each is free to experiment with signup bonuses and special offers.
Here are some of the ones we have seen over the river in New Jersey:
This one is the most straightforward and gives users a deposit match up to a certain amount. Bettors have to bet with the bonus at least once before they can withdraw any of it to their bank account.
Another popular type of bonus has been the free bet match or risk free bet. This type of promo typically includes a first bet match up to $500, or a bet refund up to $500 should your first bet lose. The bet match is a little more generous because it triggers whether a player wins or loses their first bet, as opposed to only upon a loss.
Gaining increasing popularity is the free bet with no deposit. This is offered to users who simply register regardless of whether they deposit money or not. It’s a form of marketing in that it brings in potential players and offers them a taste of the action.
Parx Sportsbook offers the full range of action you would expect, including:
Sports available include:
It remains to be seen whether Parx Sportsbook will require a promo code. Many online sportsbooks do, while others simply recommend them to track marketing.
Noon – 11pm
10am – Midnight
10am – 11pm
The GAN platform, which will be enacted in both Parx’s in-person and online Sportsbook, will allow customers to link their rewards cards to their online account. Players will be able to trade in their points for cash and other rewards across physical and mobile books. Given that Parx figures to be a hyper local sports betting app for parent company Greenwood Gaming, it represents a unique opportunity to blur the lines between casino-based and online betting.
The Xclub is Parx’s official rewards app and offers three levels:
It’s yet to be know how Parx’s online sports betting app will work with the Xclub and whether it will offer additional Parx Sportsbook promo codes, but it is clear Parx will have a robust rewards system ready to go.
Other major players, like DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet, while they offer great apps, are focused on establishing themselves as national brands, with physical branded spaces and partnerships throughout the US. Parx, however, can dominate Philadelphia and its western suburbs.
Parx is an established brand in the Philly market. They are the number one land-based casino in Pennsylvania. Located in Bensalem just off the Turnpike, the casino is easily accessible from the city and suburbs. They generated $570 million from slot and table games in 2018, representing 18% of the PA market. The Parx Sportsbook figures to lead the way among local brands.
Parx Sportsbook is located within a 260,000 square foot facility that includes a range of restaurants:
Parx’s physical sportsbook is located in a temporary space inside the casino while they await the completion of a 10,000 square foot facility slated to open this summer, which Parx officials tell me will be the most impressive sportsbook on the East Coast.
There are 7 betting windows, 12 self-service kiosks, and 30 kiosks throughout the casino.
I was inside the place and saw at least 8 massive TVs behind a large bar. The color scheme is classic Parx with purple and yellow hues. There’s a modern feel, with a bit of old school charm to the space. But the real change will come when Parx opens its new facility.
Things will really pick up once Parx launches its online sportsbook. The Parx website simply says “coming soon,” but it is expected that it launches between April and July.
PA state regulators had mentioned late June or early July, but Parx Chief Marketing Office Marc Oppenheimer told Pennlive that he believed his casino’s sports betting app would be ready in April and, thus, launch sometime much sooner, possibly along with or ahead of SugarHouse and FanDuel.
We can get a preview of how Parx’s sports betting app will look by checking out Betslip Builer, which is available through a web interface and iOS and Android apps.
Parx’s Betslip Builder has a very Kambi feel– with odds laid out in a mostly vertical grid pattern. On the left, there is a hamburger menu that offers home, live right now, and starting soon options along with a full list of leagues and sports.
From within each league or sport you have access to live an upcoming lines, spread, totals and props. At the top, you can select futures to get access to the futures market.
Already, Parx offers a robust set of betting options, which should only improve when they launch their online sportsbook.
Though it’s not yet available, the Parx Sportsbook will most likely be available in the iOS App Store and on Android as a direct download as the Google Play store doesn’t allow gambling apps.
How will you be able to deposit money into the Parx online sportsbook? There will most likely be a few options:
Local competition SugarHouse offers a range of deposit options, so Parx would be wise to offer as many of those as possible. The benefit of being a large local brand will mean it’s more feasible to more players to deposit in person, at the casino, which also serves as an event space to sports-themed radio and TV shows. I used to appear on Great Sports Debate which filmed right inside the Chickie’s and Pete’s on premises, so Parx offers additional incentives for sports fans to be in their space, which will benefit both their physical sportsbook and online sports betting option.
Parx Casino opened in 2009, but the race track in Bensalem had been around since 1974.
Parx was approved for a gaming license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on October 3, 2018. A month later, Parx announce plans for its massive sportsbook. Their temporary facility opened on January 8, 2019.
Parx aims to bring a modern, tech-focused betting app to PA sometime in 2019.
Full disclosure: We are an affiliate of legal New Jersey sports betting sites, so we may receive a commission if you use our links.