Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana recently opened a new $2.4 million expansion at its Barstool Sports Book, originally opened in 2019. Vice President and General Manager Mike Galle said, “How do you build loyalty? You offer them the products that they want, right? And that’s why we’re expanding the space. That’s why we’re trying to develop an environment that’s all-inclusive.”
The new sportsbook offers more than 50 new slot machines and electronic table games, 20 self-service betting kiosks, five new blackjack tables and a new VIP betting window. The expanded dining area adds 50 new seats and an updated menu. Galle said the expansion created 14 new jobs.
Galle said sportsbook gamblers “skew younger” than slots players, helping to make Hollywood the top-performing retail sports book in Indiana, generating $15.5 million in revenue last year. But DraftKings and FanDuel control two-thirds of the online market in Indiana, with combined gross receipts of $137 million. Total handle in the state in 2021 was $3 billion, with 86 percent of that total going to online sports books.
Now Hollywood is staring at competition coming from Ohio, which is developing rules that will include up to five retail locations in Hamilton County and up to 25 mobile sports betting licenses, by January 1, 2023. Hard Rock Casino and Belterra Park are expected to seek licenses, as well as the Cincinnati Reds and FC Cincinnati. In addition, the Ohio Lottery will place betting kiosks in 2,500 bars and restaurants statewide, including dozens within a 40-minute drive of Hollywood Casino.
Galle said, “The regulations in Ohio aren’t developed. So, I don’t know completely what I’m up against. We know there’s going to be additional competition but we’re combating that with more of an experience, leveraging our players card, leveraging our property, leveraging additional gaming options that those other facilities won’t be able to offer.”
