Pa. will see multiple sports betting sites before year-end

Pennsylvania is in the midst of launching its sports betting industry — becoming part of the first wave of states to do so.

After a slow and snowy start, officials say things are going smoothly.

Sports betting only officially became legal after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in May.

Pennsylvania lawmakers were ready. In their search for revenue, they’d already accounted for sports betting in the state budget.

Dauphin County’s Hollywood Casino was the first to hold sports bets. Gaming Control Board Spokesman Richard McGarvey said the casino’s test days were quiet due to a snowstorm, but the official launch went well.

He said next on the agenda are tests for four casinos that have applied for sports betting licenses.

“We haven’t set dates for their tests yet, but I would expect them to come within the next few weeks to the end of the month or so,” he said.

The other casinos are Sugarhouse, Harrah’s and Parx in Philadelphia, and Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh.

McGarvey said the control board won’t have any revenue figures until mid-December, when month-end reports start coming in.