Penn National Online Sports Betting - RotoGrinders
Update: This page was created when Penn National was still deciding which direction to go with their retail sportsbook branding strategy. The company ended up settling on a different book as their national sportsbook brand before ultimately rebranding to ESPN BET. Check out our ESPN BET promo code page to score an excellent welcome offer. Since there is no Penn National sportsbook, this page is no longer accurate and will not be updated.
Penn National was the first retail sportsbook to in Pennsylvania thanks to the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board’s (PCGB) decision to allow temporary sports betting facilities to open while regulations are finalized, sports betting went live on November 15, 2018. Penn National has partnered with William Hill for their sportsbook data and look to be one of the first online sportsbooks in Pennsylvania as well. At an April 17th PGCB meeting, it was announced that online sportsbooks could start testing in the weeks following.
Penn National Overview
| Online Launch | Expected July 2019 |
|---|---|
| Tech Supplier | William Hill |
| License | Approved Oct 2018 |
| Retail Sportsbook | Opened Nov 15, 2018 |
Penn National Online Sports Betting Deposit Bonuses and Promotions
In what will be a very competitive Pennsylvania online sportsbook market, Penn National will look to gain an edge on the competition by offering a nice welcome package. This may include some of the following:
- Deposit Match Bonus: A deposit match bonus is exactly what it sounds like. Depending on the actual promotion, Penn National would match your deposit up to a certain amount and/or a percentage of your cash deposit.
- No Deposit Bonus: Just for signing up, Penn National may offer a small amount of money for you try out their site.
- Free Bets: Sportsbooks often offer free bets as a way for you to try their site. Some may require a deposit, some just for signing up, some will match your first real money bet on the site.
How will Penn National Online Sportbook take advantage of the PA market?
- If you ain’t first, you’re last: Penn National was the first to market in the retail market, so we expect Penn National to try to be one of the first in the online market as well. Pennsylvania residents would jump at the chance for legal online sports betting from a reputable name, and being first should have its advantages.
- Not afraid to spend: Penn National already has invested tens of millions of dollars into sports betting. A company that is willing to spend the money for advertising and promotions should do well in a competitive market.
- Online experience: Penn National has partnered with William Hill to run their online and retail sportsbooks. While William Hill may not be a household name in Pennsylvania just yet, they are one of the biggest names in sports betting and online gaming in the world.
Penn National’s Place in the Pennsylvania Gambling Market
Penn National has not been shy about wanting to be a major player in the online gaming market. They were the first to fork over the $10 million application fee and the first to market on their retail sportsbook.
Sports betting hasn’t been the only thing Penn National is throwing money at, either. It’s clear Penn National believes Pennsylvania is ripe for gambling expansion as it’s the proud winner of two satellite casino auctions from earlier in 2018, and the owner of a shiny all-inclusive Pennsylvania gambling license. All told, the company has spent nearly $80 million on fees and the various licenses required for its land-based casinos, poker rooms, sportsbooks, online casinos and sports betting sites and apps.
To steal a poker term, Penn National is all-in on gambling in Pennsylvania. Table games, poker, slots and of course, sports betting – Penn National has your your wagering wants covered. Penn National holds a strong position within the gambling market, which puts it in a great spot to lead the way with PA online sports betting.
Land Based sports betting at Hollywood Casino
Thanks to the PGCB decision to allow temporary sportsbooks to operate while casinos work to get everything together for a permanent space, Penn National at Hollywood Casino was able to open their doors in November 2018. Penn National spend over $500,000 on a temporary facility that includes six betting windows and 50 flat screen tvs (including a 110″ screen) spread over a 5000 square foot space.
This temporary facility is just that, temporary. Penn National plans to unveil their permanent sportsbook in mid-late 2019.
Online/Mobile Sports Betting
Online sportsbetting is coming in May 2019. Penn National has shown that being first is one of their priorities. Partnering with an established online gaming company like William Hill should give Penn National a distinct advantage. Although the New Jersey version of the William Hill sports betting app is underwhelming, it is still a solid performer.
Banking Options
Based on what we have seen with the New Jersey version of the William Hill app, one can expect a few deposit options but possibly very limited withdrawal options.
Deposits:
- ACH/Echecks
- William Hill Prepaid card
- Visa/Mastercard
- Cash at Penn National cage
- Other possible options
- Neteller
- Paypal
- PayNearMe
- Paper Checks
Withdrawals
- Cash at the cage
- William Hill prepaid card
- Other possible options
- PayPal
- Paper check
- Neteller
- ACH/Echeck
Sports offered
Penn National is likely to offer all the major sports including but not limited to:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Boxing and MMA
- Car racing
- College Football
- Hockey
- Golf
- Pro Football
- Soccer
- Tennis
Bet Types
Penn National should offer all the major bet types including but not limited to:
- Moneyline
- Spreads
- Totals
- InPlay betting
- Parlays
- Cashout features
Penn National’s road to Sports Betting
Penn National has been one of the strongest advocates for the gaming expansion package that included sports betting, online poker and online casinos. Despite the fact that they are strongly for the expansion, they are not exactly thrilled with all the regulations that have come along with it. Penn National was very opinionated about not allowing multiple skins for online casinos and strongly opposed allowing satellite casinos. In a “if you can’t beat em, join em” move, Penn National ended up spending a fortune gaining the rights to open two satellite casinos of their own.
In addition to acquiring two sattelite casinos, Penn National was among the first to put down the $10 million application fee for an all inclusive online gambling license that includes table games, slots and online poker. All in all, Penn National is in for around $100 million towards the gambling expansion.
Penn National continues to fight the ridiculously high tax rate on online gaming. Pennsylvania’s online slot tax rate nearly triples that of neighboring New Jersey. Although Penn National is one of the smaller earning casinos in PA, they are leading the fight against the these over regulation.
Penn National is already live in Mississippi and their partner William Hill has been taking bets in New Jersey since mid 2018. As more and more states move towards sports betting, we wouldn’t be surprised if Penn National makes a few more moves to expand their ever growing gaming name throughout the country.
Penn National Online Sports Betting Outlook
Considering Penn National’s current position in the Pennsylvania sports betting world, the substantial investment it has made to expand its gambling footprint in both land-based and online casinos, and the general sentiment surrounding legal online sports betting in the US, the company is primed to be a major player in PA sports betting.
The only thing that stands in Penn National’s way – and this is true of all Pennsylvania online sports betting hopefuls – is the exorbitantly tax rates the state plans to impose on sportsbooks. It remains to be seen whether any sports betting operator can handle the 36%+ tax rate. But Penn National has already hurdled the $10 million license fee and is one of only a few brands approved under temporary regulations, so no matter how you slice it, Penn National’s sports betting outlook is as good as it gets in Pennsylvania right now.