Sports Signup
According to the petition filed Wednesday, Downs Racing is seeking a certificate to offer a combination of land-based, mobile and interactive sports wagering.
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spokesman Doug Harbach said the board will schedule a hearing in the future so Mohegan Sun Pocono officials can present their plans and gain approval. Nothing is scheduled at this point, he said.
The petition follows Gov. Tom Wolf signing Act No. 42 into law on Oct. 30, 2017, which amends the Gaming Act to legalizes slot machine licensees conducting sports wagering. Under the law, the licensee must submit a petition and qualify for a certificate to be issued.
Downs Racing is considered a category 1 slot machine licensee and is authorized to have table games.
In its petition, Downs Racing stated it has “maintained its license in good standing with the board, has contributed significant tax revenue to the commonwealth and has spurred economic development in Northeastern Pennsylvania, benefiting both residents and businesses.”
In 2016-2017, Downs Racing has paid about $123 million in tax payments from its slot machine and table game revenues.
Mohegan Sun Pocono employs more than 1,500 people and conducts millions of dollars of business with vendors and related businesses. Downs Racing also has made sizable donations to local agencies, charitable efforts and community-based organizations, its petition states.
Downs Racing said in its petition that offering sports wagering will “significantly expand the positive economic impact the casino currently provides to the commonwealth, local municipalities and residents.”
Mohegan Sun Pocono has entered into an agreement with New York-based Unibet Interactive Inc., a subsidiary of Kindred Group PLC. Under the agreement, Unibet would serve as its sports wagering and interactive gaming operator.
The Plains Twp. casino does not intend to use a temporary facility for its land-based sports wagering operations or system, according to its petition.
“Downs Racing’s successful slots and table games operation clearly predicts that it will have a successful sports wagering operation,” its petition states. “Downs Racing has made significant improvements in and improvements to its licensed facility.”
Downs Racing officials have not yet provided the proposed sports wagering area and restricted area, security and surveillance plans, but said they would supplement the petition with detailed site plans when they are available.
According to its petition, Downs Racing anticipates that Unibet will be responsible for the hardware, software and trading services for the sports wagering operation, including ancillary devices such as self-service betting kiosks and over-the-counter terminals.
“The commencement of sports wagering will not have any negative impact on the slot machine and table game counts at Downs Racing,” the petition states.
Tony Carlucci, president of Mohegan Sun Pocono, recently said he doesn’t know when sports betting would be offered yet, but sports wagers would be placed right inside the casino’s main entrance.
With the implementation of sports betting, Downs Racing said it intends to update its Compulsive & Problem Gambling Plan. The updates would include modifications to ensure that its policies to prevent underage gambling and excluded, self-excluded and intoxicated persons extend to sports wagering, its petition states.
Downs Racing officials did not publicly state how many new jobs would be created as a result of sports wagering.
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