The new Unibet retail sportsbook at Mohegan Sun Pocono had soft-launched Tuesday.
Further testing will follow on Wednesday under the oversight of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).
This is the 11th Pennsylvania retail sportsbook to open. It comes just two weeks after Mount Airy opened up its casino sportsbook.
No timetable yet for online sports betting
Doug Harbach, a PGCB spokesman, added, “We have not yet established a timetable for testing of an online sportsbook option for Mohegan,” though that is also planned.
The PA online sportsbook will sport the Unibet brand, like its retail counterpart. Unibet is a significant player in the European betting market.
David Parfrey, vice president of marketing for Mohegan, told The Citizen’s Voice that patrons could place wagers during the soft-launch on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Wednesday from 2 p.m. to midnight.
Despite reports to the contrary, all forms of sports betting are available during the testing period.
Sportsbook grand opening Thursday
Mohegan plans to officially open the space at 11 a.m. Thursday, pending full PGCB approval. The book should be open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight after that.
The lounge is 1,130 square feet and operated by Mohegan’s online partner, Unibet Sportsbook, in partnership with Kindred Gaming.
The sports lounge is near the main entrance of the casino to make it easy for guests to drop in to place a wager, Parfrey told The Citizen’s Voice.
Sports lounge amenities
The lounge has video walls, and as many as 16 games can be displayed. A ticker keeps track of games and scores. The space has six sports betting terminals and one racebook betting terminal. The terminals can take money or tickets, but do not accept credit cards.
The bar and tables will seat about 40 patrons and food will come from an adjacent Irish-themed bar.
The retail book is creating 12-14 new jobs, Parfrey told The Citizen’s Voice. “This is a welcome amenity for sports enthusiasts and patrons,” Parfrey said. “A lot of hard work has gone into this. We’re ecstatic about getting this open.”
