William Hill USA will be working with casino operator Penn International Gaming on sportsbooks for five of its properties, with the Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast and Boomtown Biloxi casinos launching sports betting.
West Virginia sports betting will start legal sports betting from September 1, the fifth US state to legalise sports betting.
Penn National Gaming will also launch its Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, powered by the US division of William Hill, in West Virginia, the first of its kind in the state.
Penn operates 28 casinos in 16 US states and also offers social online gaming through its Penn Interactive Ventures division.
Penn chief executive Timothy Wilmott said that customers’ interest in sports wagering in Mississippi “has been growing since the federal ban on sports betting was repealed in May”.
Justin Carter, Penn National Gaming’s general manager in Tunica, said that college sports would be a particular area of interest for local punters. “Every time I step on the gaming floor a customer approaches me about sports betting,” he said. “With the extreme passion in the region around sports, and college athletics in particular, we look forward to becoming a destination for fans in northern Mississippi, Memphis, and Arkansas.”
Earlier this month, reports emerged in the UK media that William Hill had opened talks with Penn National Gaming over a possible joint venture to roll out sports betting services across the US.
Source: GMB
