A Guide To Sports Betting For Pittsburgh Sports Fans
Pittsburgh is Pennsylvania’s second-largest city and a hotbed for professional and college sports.
With approximately 2.3 million people living in the Pittsburgh metro area, it is expected to represent a huge chunk of the PA sports betting market, second only to Philadelphia.
Sports became ingrained in the city’s culture in the 1970s when Pittsburgh became known as the “City of Champions.”
The city’s three major pro sports teams are:
- Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates
- National Football League’s Pittsburgh Steelers
- National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins
College sports are big in Pittsburgh as well. In fact, there are three NCAA Division I schools that call the city home. These schools are:
- University of Pittsburgh
- Duquesne University of Pittsburgh
- Robert Morris University
Pittsburgh first became known as the “City of Champions” 1970s when the Pirates, Steelers, and University of Pittsburgh Panthers won multiple championships. The nickname rose to prominence again in 2009 when the Steelers and Penguins both won titles.
All three pro sports teams in Pittsburgh wear the same black and gold colors, creating camaraderie among each team’s fan base. It remains the only city in the United States where this is the case.
The Pittsburgh Pirates stance
In June 2018, as regulators were in the middle of creating regulations to govern the state’s legal sports betting market, the Pittsburgh Pirates sent the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB)a letter.
The letter said the team will be greatly impacted by the legalization of sports betting:
“On a local team level, the Pirates are obviously one the handful of professional sports organizations that will be most directly affected by any new regulations in Pennsylvania. We think it is important to note that any revenue generated through sports wagering is largely dependent on organizations like the Pirates who actually supply the sports wagering product.
“Without professional sports there can be no professional sports betting. Providing a professional sports product is a costly endeavor. While our landlord is responsible for capital repair and improvements at PNC Park, the Pirates are responsible for maintenance and operational expenses at PNC Park, which has consistently been named the premier ballpark in the country since its opening in 2001. The capital needs at PNC Park are significant and unfortunately are much higher than the current funds allocated to them by our landlord.”
The Pirates want a piece
The letter also asked for money from sports betting to keep up maintenance on the team’s PNC Park home stadium
“We have been engaged in constant dialogue over the past five to seven years with city, county and state officials about the need allocate a funding source to the capital needs of PNC Park. It stands to reason that a portion of the revenue collected from sports wagering should be allocated to the maintenance and capital upkeep of PNC Park and the other sports-based facilities in Pennsylvania which provide for sports wagering in the first place. We are concerned that no such provision is included in the current law or the regulation.”
Public money built PNC Park. The Pirates contributed only $40 million of the $262 million price tag.
The PGCB has since released a variety of temporary sports betting regulations. The Board appears to be ignoring the Pirates’ request so far.
Rivers Casino Sportsbook
Of course, Pittsburgh is home to Rivers Casino, just a stone’s throw from Heinz Field where the Steelers play. The facility boasts 2,900 slots, more than 100 table games, and a 30-table poker room.
Its proximity to Heinz Field appears to make it the perfect location for a sportsbook.
The city seemed to agree that it was a great place for sports fans. The casino opened up its sportsbook for two days of testing on Dec. 13, then went fully live on Dec. 15. It is the only casino in the Pittsburgh area, but not for long.
Of course, mobile and online sports betting will allow gamblers to place bets from wherever they are inside state lines. Rivers added that facet June 27, when its BetRivers betting app completed state testing and fully launched to the public.
Valley Forge is also getting in the betting game. That casino plans to bring FanDuel online sportsbook to the Keystone State.
PA sports gamblers will also have the option of betting with Parx online. The state’s top-grossing casino facility is also promising to take its sports betting offering online.
Legal sports betting options
Since June 2018, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, and West Virginia have all launched legal sports betting.
Philadelphia is less than a two-hour drive from most New Jersey and Delaware sportsbooks. However, Pittsburgh is over five hours away.
West Virginia’s Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is a little over a three-hour drive away. The Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races opened Sept. 1, 2018.
It takes wagers including parlays, match-ups, futures, props, and in-play betting on pro and college sports. The facility features 24 odds-display monitors and 50 feet of wall space dedicated to 80-inch TVs for viewing. Individual viewing stations and lounge seating is on its way as well.