PointsBet soft launches sports betting in Pennsylvania

The operator last month secured online sports wagering and interactive gaming operator licences in the state and yesterday (7 February) accepted its first bet.

Per the terms of its sports betting licence, PointsBet must first undergo a three-day soft launch period before commencing full operations and marketing. As such, the operator expects to be fully live in time for Super Bowl LVI on 13 February.

Pennsylvania becomes the tenth state in which PointsBet has rolled out its sports wagering offering, following launches in New Jersey, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia and New York.

“PointsBet launching in our tenth US jurisdiction represents a very proud moment for our company, and I am especially grateful to our technology and compliance teams for their ongoing dedication and commitment,” PointsBet group chief executive and managing director Sam Swanell said.

Now live in Pennsylvania, PointsBet will utilise its partnership with Comcast-owned media group NBC Sports to promote its presence in the state.

This will include multi-platform media and marketing opportunities across NBC Sports Philadelphia, the regional broadcast home of Pennsylvania sports teams the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia 76ers from the National Basketball Association and National Hockey league team the Philadelphia Flyers.

PointsBet is now in its third year of being the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports.

Last year, Pennsylvania set a host of new records for regulated gambling in 2021, with total revenue in the state reaching $4.73bn.

The total across all channels and verticals was 78.5% higher than the $2.65bn generated in 2020 and up 38.7% from the previous full-year record of $3.41bn in 2019.

Sports betting revenue climbed 79.3% year-on-year to $340.1m, while the state’s handle reached $6.55bn, up 83.0% on 2020 and the highest annual total since legal betting went live in 2018.