Rivers Casino’s new online sports betting website and app, branded as BetRivers, received approval Thursday from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to begin full-time operations following a successful two-day test period this week. The casino is the third in the state to offer online sports betting, as Parx Casino in suburban Philadelphia became the second such site earlier this week, and is now available online 24/7 following a three-day soft launch period.
They follow affiliated Rush Street-owned property SugarHouse in Philadelphia, which in late May began operating Pennsylvania’s first legal online wagering site. That means that gamblers anywhere in Pennsylvania can use computers, phones and other devices to place wagers quickly on the same sports and with all of the same options as has been the case, for instance, since the Rivers Casino’s physical sportsbook opened inside the North Shore facility in December.
The casino has been handling about $9 million monthly in sports wagers placed in person at the sportsbook that is undergoing a relocation and $5 million construction project set for completion in the fall, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. That amount of wagers is expected to be surpassed by those who now can bet online.
The approval means that the gaming board was satisfied with the Rivers and Parx’s test-period operations, such as the handling of financial accounting, customer interaction, responsible gambling features, and controls designed to ensure bets are placed only by gamblers within Pennsylvania who are at least 21 years old.
Just as gamblers have opened SugarHouse accounts through checking accounts, credit cards, debit cards, PayPal and other means, they could deposit funds into Rivers or Parx online accounts. And in coming months, they could do so the same at six more casino sportsbooks that are expected to add digital operations.
At each of the three current sites, the odds on games won’t be much different because their point spreads and other betting options are all created by European firm Kambi. There are different marketing promotions at each site, however. Just like at SurgarHouse, the Rivers will match any deposit up to $250 made by new players, essentially doubling their initial funds for wagering.
Regarding the apps’ availability, unlike Android phones, Apple’s iPhones are apparently months away from allowing new gambling-related apps due to new coding requirements the company has imposed. On July 15, the new online gambling in Pennsylvania is expected to offer casino games such as slots, blackjack and poker, according to the gaming control board’s last announcement.
Rivers Casino on Thursday unveiled renderings of an expanded, permanent sportsbook planned for the North Shore casino. The $5 million construction project is expected to open this fall, according to a statement from Rivers.
The casino opened the temporary sportsbook in December, offering legal bets on sports including football, baseball, hockey, boxing and basketball. Since then, the Rivers sportsbook has become one of the highest-performing in the state.
It brought in the largest handle — $7.9 million of the statewide total of $35.4 million — of the state’s eight sportsbooks in May, according to figures provided by the state Gaming Control Board.
The new sportsbook will be located in the 5,500-square-foot area formerly occupied by Levels Lounge, according to a statement from Rivers. It will include club chairs and seating for about 195 guests, along with two 50-foot-by-7-foot LED monitors and 24, 86-inch flat-screen monitors. There will be 18 self-service betting kiosks and six betting windows.