Mount Airy, Mohegan Sports Betting Operations Coming to PA
The online casino industry in Pennsylvania is readying for a launch. Now, two more companies are looking to rather belatedly join the party, but they want to do sports more so than any form of iGaming.
More Sportsbooks to Open Doors in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is still a little jittery when it comes to online casinos, but the state has been enjoying sports betting for a fair while now. Two more companies are now planning to hit the market with their own sportsbooks with applications already hitting the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).
The latest arrivals are none other than the state’s tribal operators. The Mohegan Sun Pocono and Mount Airy Casino Resort have filed for a license each with the PGCB. The Mohegan tribe has been partnering with multiple betting companies, including Kambi for places such as Connecticut.
Sports betting is still not legal in CT, but the Mohegans hope that they will have a head start when the industry finally launches in the state. Meanwhile, there is no indication that the Malta-based software developer will also assist the Mohegans in Pennsylvania.
The tribes will be going up against each other and against a stiff local competition, not to mention that they are arriving to the market nearly a year after it was launched. This is one of the first moves in which a tribal operator in the United States has decided to expand and leave its bastions.
Meanwhile, Mount Airy remains tied up with 888 Holdings and The Stars Group poising itself to expand into other online verticals, including online poker.
The Undeniable Importance of Sports Betting Online
Many businesses and sporting bodies have grumbled against online sports betting. In places like Florida, the thought of introducing a fully-scaled online gambling or betting business, that hasn’t got anything to do with the tribes is heresy.
However, even Disney, who are the main opponent of gambling in Florida, along with the native tribes, have been running sports betting show via their subsidiary, ESPN.
The truth is, sports betting has increasingly been perceived as a positive development across the United States, leading to increased viewership, better advertisement revenue, and ultimately greater interest in sports.
Dismissing the potential of sports betting would only lead to a belated action on the part of states and businesses that could have been benefiting from it much earlier on.
In the case of the Mohegans and Mount Airy, the tribes will have to sort out not only the competition coming from rival properties, but also try to pry customers away from the other, as their properties will be within 40 kilometres of each other.
Nevertheless, the tribes aren’t known to act on hunch alone and their decision to join Pennsylvania’s sports betting landscape is a sure-fire sign that the US is fast on the track to legalize the industry across the entire country.
Simon is a freelance writer who specializes in gambling news and has been an author in the poker/casino scene for 10+ years. He brings valuable knowledge to the team and a different perspective, especially as a casual casino player.
