South Philadelphia Turf Club Sportsbook
The South Philadelphia Turf Club (SPTC) is an off-track betting location just northeast of Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. The venue was one of the first locations to offer sports betting in Pennsylvania.
Greenwood Gaming, the parent company of both Parx Casino and SPTC, was the second company to apply to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) for a sports betting license in Pennsylvania. The company’s dual submission for both its main casino and one of its OTB locations came as a bit of a surprise. It did not come at an extra cost to Greenwood though. The single $10 million license covers the turf club location, though it does get its own, separate vetting process.
There are seven off-track betting parlors located in Pennsylvania following the closure of The Oaks. By virtue of these facilities and the five satellite casino locations, the number of possible sportsbooks in the state is effectively twice the number of casinos in-state.
As a result, SPTC will likely serve as a template for other companies to navigate both the regulatory and operational requirements. However, there is no firm timeframe for the sportsbook to open at SPTC.
South Philadelphia Turf Club Sportsbook launch
Just one week after Parx opened up its sportsbook, South Philadelphia Turf Club started taking bets.
South Philadelphia Turf Club has a huge advantage over competitors given that it literally lives in the parking lot of all the major sports arenas and fields. It generally outperforms other OTBs with sportsbooks, but pales in comparison to what the major PA casinos bring in.
The South Philadelphia Turf Club does not have a separate online betting app from its parent casino, Parx.
SPTC underwent a $1 million renovation of its existing facility. Part of the renovation was the inclusion of up to 150 high-definition televisions for patrons to watch.
The SPTC’s mobile betting options certainly piggyback off its sister property’s offerings.
Customers at SPTC see advertising and promotional materials for the Parx app.