Renowned Pennsylvanian casino operator Stadium Casino LLC is on track to open its Live! Casino Hotel Philadelphia operation by the end of 2020 and the company has so many plans for the gaming facility. In the meantime, the casino has been working towards having the five-year license that it was granted in 2014 renewed. Already, the process is underway as the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) held a hearing on Monday – this was to help it to decide whether they are going to renew the operator’s license or not.
Fortunately, things seem to be looking up for the casino operator at the moment which implies that there is little doubt that the gaming control board will renew Stadium Casino’s license. The gaming company has paid out close to $75 million in license fees for online slots and tables as well as an additional $40 million for a mini-casino license in Westmoreland County and this makes it a valuable contributor to the state’s tax and license revenue.
One of the most notable highlights of the hearing was the announcement that was made by some Live! Casino & Hotel Representatives is that the property is set to construct a sportsbook when it finally goes live. The $700 million Live! Casino project is therefore likely to be the ninth casino in the state to go after a sports betting license which currently goes for a whopping $10 million.
Unique Sportsbook Offering
Stadium Casino provided some rather scanty details about the sportsbook that it intends to construct but it has confirmed a few details such as the plans to have the sports betting facility connected to a bar. The hotel and casino that will reside within the sports stadium will make the facility one a “premier sports, entertainment, gaming hospitality destination in the US.”
“It’s not just a sports betting parlor,” one of the casino’s representatives said, “but it provides food offerings and entertainment, as well.”
Is It A Good Idea?
As Stadium Casino LLC makes plans for its forthcoming sportsbook, the Keystone State will finally begin online and mobile gambling as soon as this month. Needless to say, these two verticals are far more popular when compared to physical sports betting facilities. In fact, over 80 percent of the state’s sports betting could be online or mobile by the time the Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia goes live.
As such, the gaming operator may not enjoy nearly the same fanfare that rivals enjoyed with the opening of their respective books over the last several months. But, this is not likely to impede their efforts in getting the sports betting operation off the ground. Still, considering how dynamic the gambling industry is, only time will tell how things will turn out.
