Sunday’s Super Bowl won’t be a big event and cash cow just around Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Every casino in Pennsylvania, though more than 1,000 miles from the action, stands to profit from viewers who want to be part of a party atmosphere for the game.
To varying degrees, the casinos are hosting parties, reserved seats, sportsbook buffets, gambling prizes, food and drink specials, and more to lure viewers away from home in late afternoon and evening.
While March Madness is the one event on the calendar that attracts more sports betting than the Super Bowl, it is spread over three weeks. No other four-hour window like Sunday’s televised matchup between the Chiefs and 49ers draws as many people into a casino at the same time.
While some casinos are relying primarily on the game itself to attract patrons, others like the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh are advertising special festivities, for both those willing to pay an extra price and others who just want to be part of a crowd.
“We’re very excited,” said Andre Barnabei, the casino’s vice president of gaming. “It’s guaranteed to be the best spot in the city to watch.”
The Rivers is offering reserved seats in its sportsbook starting at 5 p.m. for $50 to $100 — the lower price for its table and bar seats and higher for individual leather lounge chairs — and many have sold out. The cost includes a buffet of chicken wings, sliders, nachos, and other snacks, plus special betting kiosk access.
For those who don’t want to pay extra, the casino’s upstairs events center will have four large projection-screen TVs set up with seating for 500, plus installation of betting kiosks, concession stands, and a cash bar.
Across the state, the Rivers Philadelphia opened an enlarged sportsbook during the football season just like its Pittsburgh counterpart, and it is also making use of it for a special Super Bowl event.
For $60, patrons can reserve a sportsbook seat, enjoy a buffet with Philly cheesesteaks and plenty of other food, and receive a T-shirt.
“It’s going fast,” sportsbook manager Jim Llewellyn said last week of the available reservations. “And that’s just the seating itself. We’ll have people all around the perimeter, and the kiosks and counter are open to anybody to bet. We’ll draw a big crowd all around the sportsbook — almost as many again in standing room as sitting.”
Among other special Super Bowl promotions that have been advertised: