The retail sportsbook at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows has lagged well behind its rival at Rivers Pittsburgh in activity since opening in October 2019, but casino owner Penn National Gaming hopes to change that soon.
The racetrack casino in Washington County, about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh, is completing finishing touches this week on a new $7 million Barstool Sportsbook venue that vastly expands the space dedicated to watching and betting on games, The Meadows announced in a press release Monday.
By renovating the former bar and sportsbook area and taking over space of a former buffet restaurant that was adjacent to it, the Barstool Sportsbook with its 48-foot-wide video wall “will provide guests with an unmatched experience to watch sports at the newest best-in-class entertainment destination in the region,” according to the press release.
The new sportsbook area with its 45 televisions and new seating has been accessible for more than a week while work has been completed on the sportsbook’s dining area and other features, which are to include a low-limit table games pit and slot machines.
Very excited to be at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows @HWoodMeadows next week to see the new @barstoolsports I will be there to see it first hand Friday Night June 3rd. Hey Jeff @Meadows_TV first drink is on you buddy!! Here’s a sneak peek! pic.twitter.com/80nCCvoDhd
— Marco D'Angelo (@MarcoInVegas) May 27, 2022
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completed sportsbook is planned for 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Barstool brand bump
Penn National Gaming has made use of the Barstool brand (it is part-owner of the Barstool Sports media company) in opening sportsbooks at its mini-casinos in York and Berks counties and renovation of its Hollywood Casino at Penn National property near Harrisburg, in addition to for online sports betting.
While DraftKings has its online sportsbook access in Pennsylvania through a Hollywood Casino at The Meadows partnership, DraftKings is not involved in the retail operation there.
The casino’s retail sportsbook from January-April of this year took $5.9 million in bets and generated $368,853 in revenue, compared to $24.2 million in handle and $2.3 million in revenue at the larger Rivers Casino within walking distance of Pittsburgh’s football and baseball stadiums.
