30-second summary
- South Philly’s first sports betting business is now open
- Parx Race and Sports Book debuts at South Philadelphia Turf Club
- Located near Philadelphia’s major sports venues
- Around $1m (￡777m) spent on aesthetic and technology changes
Near major sports venues
After two days of testing, the South Philly Turf Club was given the go-ahead by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to officially open sports betting services. The Parx Race and Sports Book is the first legal gambling venue offering sports wagering options in Pennsylvania.
The location of the South Philly venue is ideal. The facility is located only steps from the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, the home of Philadelphia’s major sports teams. Visitors can easily place a wager on their favorite sports team before attending a game.
Citizens Bank Park is also located in this area. The baseball stadium is home to the Philadelphia Phillies, an MLB franchise. The Wells Fargo Center, home to the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, NBA’s 76ers, and the Arena Football League’s Soul, is also nearby. So is the Linc, the home field of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.
Greenwood Gaming operates the Parx Casino and South Philadelphia Turf Club. The parent company’s chief marketing officer,?Marc Oppenheimer, noted: “We’re across the street from Citizens Bank Park. We’re no more than a couple blocks from the Linc and Wells Fargo Center. So, we’re really right here in the hub of where the sports activity in Philadelphia takes place.”
Facility renovations
To prepare for the new race and sports facility, the Turf Club was renovated. It took around six weeks to make the necessary changes. About $1m was spent to change the look of the space and add necessary technology. New kiosks were added to the property to allow players to place sports bets easily.
More employees were hired because the facility needed additional staff to handle dining needs and gambling services. It is unclear how much traffic the facility will see now that it is fully operational. Oppenheimer said that the facility is waiting to see what happens. The company feels there is significant potential in the region.