Here we are four weeks into the 2020 NFL season, and NJ sports betting is front and center.
No surprise there.
The TV commercials featuring sportsbook apps are becoming more frequent. The BetMGM commercial featuring Jamie Foxx is one of the newest ones.
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- Find info about opening hours, location, sports betting options and more. Parx Sportsbook Review. Parx Casino and Racing is one of the major gambling destinations of Pennsylvania, hosting a casino, racetrack and sportsbook. Currently, the Parx Casino.
- With the biggest casino in the state, Parx Casino is set to offer PA sports betting.It’s no surprise that it is going all-in on its Pennsylvania sportsbook offerings. The main casino at Bensalem opened a $10 million, state-of-the-art sportsbook with windows, kiosks and wall-to-wall TVs in August 2019.
- The Liberty Bell Gastropub is Now Open Wednesday - Sunday. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
In a move that sort of floated under the radar, Freehold Raceway held a soft opening of its retail sportsbook. There is much more on the horizon there.
And for those Garden State bettors out there stuck in a funk wagering on the winless Philadelphia Eagles, there are plenty of alternatives.
The NBA Finals, featuring LeBron James and Jimmy Butler, got underway last night.
Here are the latest headlines making New Jersey gambling news this week.
BetMGM Sportsbook commercial stars Jamie Foxx
Word is starting to spread about the new BetMGM ad campaign.
For those who haven’t seen or heard about it yet, the company landed Jamie Foxx, the Oscar-winning actor, to promote the BetMGM sportsbook product. The first commercial spot includes Foxx levitating above the famous Fountain of Bellagio.
Don’t believe us? See for yourself.
BetMGM continues to target a bigger NJ sports betting market share. Teaming up with a Hollywood star will certainly help build that brand recognition — or at least get more attention on social media.
Soft opening for Freehold Raceway retail sportsbook
Following a brief delay, Freehold Raceway customers can finally place their bets. But in this particular case, we are talking about sports betting, not horse betting. The Parx-branded retail sportsbook began its test run on Sept. 24.
There hasn’t been a ribbon-cutting event or ceremonial first bet, at least not yet.
But suffice it to say, the Garden State now has 11retail sportsbooks. More importantly, three more skins can launch under the Freehold license.
The Monmouth County racetrack is a joint venture between Greenwood Racing and Penn National Gaming. The former is the parent company of Parx Casino in Pennsylvania.
So add the Parx Sportsbook app to the soon-to-launch list. The Parx Casino platform already operates under the Ocean Casino Resort license.
There’s a good possibility that Barstool Sportsbook will fill another one of the slots. Penn National owns a 36% stake in Barstool Sports. Plus, the app is already live in PA.
Basically, Freehold is just getting started with its NJ sports betting plans, albeit a bit late in the game.
Atlantic City casinos get tax relief
The road to recovery is still a very long one for Atlantic City casinos. After being closed for 100-plus days due to COVID-19, the gaming floors are still operating at 25% capacity.
The state has yet to provide any updates on when those limits will change. However, it’s looking like there is relief on the horizon.
The New Jersey Legislature voted in favor of providing temporary relief to the industry.
In last week’s vote, the General Assembly moved the bill (S2400/A4032) to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk for his signature. The state Senate passed the bill back in June.
The bill allows for a reduction in taxes paid on gross gaming revenue. It also includes a monthly deduction against gross gaming revenue equal to the bonus and promo credits used by the casino’s customers.
Eagles odds taking a hit following 0-2-1 start
Few will argue that the Philadelphia Eagles are not playing up to expectations this season. Their current 0-2-1 record is all the proof that is needed.
The record includes Sunday’s 23-23 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Eagles’ odds of winning their next game continues to be a hot topic, though. So is debating whether or not Carson Wentz is the Birds franchise quarterback.
The latter will be answered over the course of the 2020 season. But as far as winning goes, Philadelphia’s schedule is only getting tougher. It starts with a Sunday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers.
As of today, NJ sportsbooks apps have the Eagles getting about a touchdown. San Fran, the defending NFC champions, are extremely beat up right now.
Then again, so are the Eagles.
Parx Casino Sports Betting Codes
Wednesday Injury Report pic.twitter.com/DsitOm7ZsV
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 30, 2020
From an NJ sports betting perspective, the team has yet to cover the point spread this season.
And Philadelphia’s Super Bowl odds are even taking a hit as a result of their bad start.
FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the Eagles’ Super Bowl futures at +6500. The Arizona Cardinals (+3500), the Nick Foles-ledChicago Bears (+4100) and the Cleveland Browns — yes, those Cleveland Browns (+4400) — all have better chances at winning the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 55.
DraftKings teams up with Eagles
Off the field, there is some breaking Philadelphia Eagles news. Earlier today, the team announced a new multiyear deal with DraftKings. The Boston-based company will be the official daily fantasy sports and sports betting partner of the Birds.
Here is what DraftKings is getting out of the partnership:
- Exclusive naming rights to the DraftKings Field Club at Lincoln Financial Field
- DraftKings’ branding will be integrated throughout Eagles’ social media channels and digital assets
- Eagles Stat Showdown, a new free-to-play game in which fans can win weekly prizes
Here is what Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer for DraftKings, had to say about the deal:
“Philadelphia is home to some of the most passionate football fans, and we could not be more excited to join forces with the Eagles. Be it fans at home, on the DraftKings mobile app or inside Lincoln Financial Field, we look forward to introducing Eagles fans and DraftKings customers alike to an all-encompassing DraftKings experience.”
This deal is the second sports betting partnership that the Eagles have announced since the start of the NFL Season. The other is with Fox Bet,which includes a Fox Bet studio at the Linc.
On the board at NJ sportsbooks
Time to start talking about playoffs.
The oddity theme of 2020 continues with the NBA Finals and Major League Baseball playoffs taking place at the same time. Remember this date, as it will likely be a question on Jeopardy! one day.
Anyway, let’s take a look at the NBA odds.
The Los Angeles Lakers dominated last night’s Game 1 against the Miami Heat, 116-98. The latter lost center Bam Adebayo (shoulder strain) and point guard Goran Dragic (foot) to injuries.
LeBron James and company easily covered the 4.5-point spread.
Game 2 is taking place Friday night (9 p.m. tipoff). FanDuel Sportsbook had the Lakers as a 7.5-point favorite as of Thursday morning. The moneyline was -330 for LA and +265 for Miami. These odds could shift once the injury report is updated.
Bettors also have the option of wagering on how many games the series will go. And it doesn’t matter which team wins the series. Here are the options and corresponding odds:
- Four games +134
- Five games +200
- Six games +420
- Seven games +680
Switching gears to MLB, the new 16-team postseason format got underway Tuesday night with the best-of-three Wild Card round. As of this afternoon, the field is already down to 12 teams, as the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves have advanced to the divisional round.
Since the Wild Card round will be wrapping up by Friday night (in theory), there’s no need to analyze the betting lines for the games that may or may not be taking place.
Instead, here is the current World Series futures market from DraftKings Sportsbook:
- Dodgers +275
- Yankees +350
- Rays +350
- Braves +900
- Astros +1000
- Athletics +1400
So for 2020, and likely only 2020, the NFL doesn’t have the pro sports spotlight all to itself in the fall.
Lawyers for three off-track bettingsites tied to Parx Casino and Racing have quietly sought permission to relocate the licenses of sites in:
- South Philly (Turf Club)
- Upper Darby in Delaware County
- Montgomery County (The Oaks)
Petitions filed with Pennsylvania regulators ask for approval to move the sports betting and pari-mutuel sites to Chickie’s & Pete’s restaurants, a popular casual eating and sports bar chain.
The petitions hint that betting sites at additional locations may be sought in the future with Parx’s additional licenses.
With the ascent of retail and online sports betting and online horse betting in PA, combined with several months of COVID-19 disruptions, few OTB locations remain open.
Parx sought expedited approval without public input
Petitions seeking the changes expressly asked the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission to approve the requests “on an expedited basis” and “without requiring a written public comment period or public comment hearing.”
The current locations are closed or struggling, which is clear in the redacted petitions provided to PlayPennsylvania by the racing commission:
“The partnership and the OTB relocations will reinvigorate … off-track betting operations, bring a new set of customers to the pari-mutuel wagering industry and increase pari-mutuel wagering revenues. Such partnerships, with the built-in potential new customer base and marketing synergies they offer, represent a viable model for the future of off-track facilities.
“Absent the ability to co-locate facilities and take advantage of such relationships, the OTB concept will face significant challenges and continued closures, as the old model is not sustainable given current patron trends and existing facilities that are too large for the market.”
Parx lawyer responds
Mark Stewart, a Harrisburg-based lawyer for Parx, spoke with PlayPennsylvania. Stewart said the current stand-alone OTB model is not the best concept. The proposed moves would allow Parx to modernize its OTB offerings, he added.
Parx already has Chickie’s & Pete’s wagering operations at the casino in Bensalem, Bucks County and Egg Harbor Township in Atlantic County, NJ. The companies are looking to build on that experience, said Stewart.
The gambling spaces would be separate from regular dining areas within the restaurant. Only those above the age of 21 could enter.
Stewart said his client sought no public comment because plans “are very similar, in our view” to what is already allowed.
Shannon Powers, a spokeswoman for the race commission, said there is no decision yet on the request. She added the law is open-ended about allowing for public comment or a hearing in such circumstances.
An agenda for the race commission typically comes out just a few days before a board meeting. The next meeting is on Feb. 23.
Sports wagering will come with horse racing
Approving pari-mutuel wagering automatically allows an applicant to also add sports wagering. That is according to Doug Harbach, the spokesman for Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Once the pari-mutuel license changes get approval from the racing commission, the PGCB’s sole role is to test and approve sports betting systems and technology, he added.
Details from the OTB move petitions
The petitions released by the racing commission redact financial information.
According to one petition, the shuttered Oaks Race and Sportsbook would move operations to 10-20 Liberty Boulevard, East Whiteland Township, where a new Chickie’s & Pete’s is planned. The proposed location is in Chester County.
The Turf Club location at 150 S. 69th St. in Upper Darby had closed a decade ago. The petition seeks to relocate those operations to the Chickie’s and Pete’s at Pilgrim Gardens Shopping Center at 5035 Township Line Road in the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby.
The South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook, better known as the Turf Club at 700 Packer Avenue, wants to move up the street to Chickie’s and Pete’s South Philadelphia location at 1526 Packer Avenue.
For a look at one of the full petitions (for The Oaks), see below.
‘This is exhausting,’ civic leader says
A local South Philly civic club leader adamantly opposes the move and the attempt to stifle public comment. She learned of the proposal because a zoning approval is necessary and neighbors got legal notices.
Barbara Capozzi greeted the request for no public comment with “This is exhausting.”
She said she intends to consult with the Packer Park Civic Association‘s lawyer.
No response from Chickie’s & Pete’s
A request for comment from the restaurant chain’s owner, Pete Ciarrocchi, has had no response as yet.