Mohegan and Mount Airy file PA betting applications

Pennsylvania’s regulated sports betting market looks set to grow after Mohegan Sun Pocono and Mount Airy Casino Resort filed applications for sportsbook licences. Each venue has already secured an online wagering partner, with Mohegan Sun announcing a partnership with Kindred Group in January this year, and Mount Airy striking a deal with The Stars Group in August 2018. Each agreement covers both sports betting and online gaming, with Mohegan Sun allowing Kindred to launch its Unibet brand, and Mount Airy to roll out The Stars Group’s BetStars brand. There is currently no timeline for either venue to launch, with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board yet to set dates for hearings to process the two licence applications. It appears that another venue preparing to enter the state’s sports betting market will has set a June launch date. Presque Isle Downs and Casino, which was acquired by Churchill Downs in January 2019 then granted conditional approval to launch sports betting in February this year, aims to launch on June 1, according to the Erie Times News. Its sports betting application, filed in December 2018, revealed it plans to open a 1,275 square foot sportsbook featuring 50 self-service betting kiosks alongside manned betting windows. Its sportsbook offering will be powered by SBTech. Pennsylvania’s sports betting licensees are required to pay a $10m (£7.7m/€8.9m) licence fee, and are then taxed at 36% of revenue. In February the state generated revenue of $1.95m, down 24.5% month-on-month, from handle of $31.5m. This generated state taxes of $661,918 from 34% of adjusted gross revenue, and a further $38,936 in taxes from a 2% local share assessment levy.  Revenue was generated from six licensed venues, with a seventh, the FanDuel-powered offering at Boyd Gaming’s Valley Forge Casino, going live on March 13.