Parx Casino Adding $10 Million Sports Book

BENSALEM, PA — With sports betting now legalized in Pennsylvania, Parx Casino in Bensalem has announced plans for a $10 million expansion to add a sports book.

The expansion, announced Friday, is slated to open in 2019. Once open, it will give gamblers access to a state-of-the-art facility at which to place their sports wagers. In the mean time, the casino has plans to start up a temporary sports book in the space formerly occupied by the 360 bar.

The opening date for the temporary sports book is pending approval by the state gambling commission, Parx said Friday. Sports betting also will be available at Parx Turf Clubs in south Philadelphia and at a soon-to-open Parx Casino in Valley Forge.

"Parx aims to offer the absolute best of all types of legalized gaming for our current and new customers," the casino said in a news release. "Sports betting is the next evolution of how we can achieve this goal. We will build the best sports book in the country — and set the industry standard for this fast-growing arena."

Legal sports betting became possible at casinos in states across the nation in May, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a longstanding prohibition on the practice in most states.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved the first licenses for casinos to host sports betting last month. Parx was one of two casinos, along with Penn National Gaming, to receive the board's approval.

Parx says that once it's open, the sports book in Bensalem will offer the most popular styles of sports betting, including spreads, money lines, props, parlays and teasers. Betting will be available on contests in the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, NHL, college football, college basketball and more.

Parx also plans to launch an online sports betting app in 2019.

The temporary sports book will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m.-2 a.m. The space will features 28 high-definition television screens, plust two 16x9-foot screens that can be split to show four different games.

There will be seven live teller windows, a full-service bar and seating to watch the games. There also will be 45 self-service sports betting kiosks at the sports book and on the casino floor.

More information is available online at the Parx sports betting website.

Photo courtesy Parx Casino