The wait is finally over for National Football League fans, with the 2019 NFL’s preseason kicking off. The gambling industry saw a first last night during the Washington Redskins’ game against the Cleveland Browns. But before we get into that, we had some other top stories catch our attention this week, as well.
Four massive jackpots were awarded by International Game Technology in July, with three of them coming in Canada, a Pennsylvania sportsbook opening, another Topgolf Swing Suite makings its casino debuted, and
Resorts World Catskills unveiling a new poker room.
Let’s kick it off with the IGT jackpots:
5. IGT’s slots award four major jackpots in July
Four players were made millionaires last month, thanks to a couple of IGT slot machines:
- On 13 July, a Powerbucks slots player won $2,152,860.83 playing the Powerbucks Powerhits game at
Treasure Cove Casino and Bingo in British Columbia, Canada. This was the largest
jackpot ever awarded by Powerbucks.
- On 25 July, a Powerbucks player won $1,032,792.28 on the Powerbucks Powerhits game at
Casino du Lac-Leamy in Quebec, Canada.
- On 27 July, a Powerbucks online slots player won a $1,004,723.31 jackpot playing Wheel of Fortune Hawaiian Getaway on
Loto Quebec.
- On 27 July, a Wheel of Fortune slots player won a $1,081,144.93 jackpot at
Golden Nugget - Atlantic City.
4. Gold Strike Casino Resort opens Topgolf Swing Suite
After
opening Moneyline Book, Bar & Grill two weeks ago,
Gold Strike Casino Resort in Mississippi has brought the Mid-South its first Top Golf Swing Suite.
The Topgolf Swing Suite features a simulator bay and a variety of virtual games, including Topgolf target game,
Zombie Dodgeball, Hockey Shots, Baseball Pitching and Quarterback Challenge.
The simulator bay allows a group of up to eight people to play games, eat and drink.
“Topgolf is an extremely popular attraction at venues throughout the country, and we’re excited to bring the region its first taste of Topgolf, with the addition of the Topgolf Swing Suite in our new sports entertainment venue, Moneyline Book, Bar & Grill,” said Gold Strike President and COO David Tsai.
Gold Strike joins sister resorts
MGM Grand Detroit Casino and
MGM Springfield with the Topgolf Swing Suite amenity, while
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi is
set to open one in September. Of course,
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is home to the flagship outdoor
Topgolf venue in Las Vegas.
3. Parx Casino opens of new sportsbook
Yesterday,
Parx Casino in Pennsylvania celebrated the grand opening of the new Parx Casino Sportsbook.
The 7,400-square-foot space can show up to 36 games at the same time and includes six live tellers, 18 kiosks and 196 seats. It opened to the public at 5 p.m. on Thursday, hours before the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Tennessee Titans in their first preseason game of the season.
The sportsbook provides bettors with plenty of options, including placing wagers on the spread, moneyline, total, props, parlays and teasers. You will be able to bet on any of those in NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, NHL, college football, college basketball, tennis, golf, MMA, boxing, auto racing and more.
During its first day of operation, the first 1,000 people to enter the sportsbook received a free $25 bet when they added $25 to their online sports betting account.
2. New poker rook at Resorts World Catskills
On Tuesday, a new 7,000-square-foot poker room was introduced at Resorts World Catskills in upstate New York. This is the largest poker room of all the commercial casinos in the state.
The room is open 24 hours a day and has 180 seats, as well as an in-room cashier, complimentary beverage service and USB charging ports at every seat.
Games such as
Texas Hold'em (limit and no limit),
Omaha (Hi-Lo and Pot-Limit) and 7 Card Stud are being dealt.
"We are confident that this new poker room, with a new convenient location and an array of updated offerings and amenities, will solidify Resorts World Catskills as the region's premier casino resort destination,” said Kevin Kline, Chief Operating Offer and General Manager of Resorts World Catskills.
1. NBC Sports Washington provides NFL’s first gambling-focused telecast
It has been a topic of discussion since
sports betting became legal in the U.S. in May 2018. It became reality last night when NBC Sports Washington Plus provided the NFL’s first gambling-focused telecast during the game between the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns.
“Predict the Game” is planned to continue throughout the remainder of the Washington Redskin’s preseason.
It features free-to-play contests where fans can win $1,000 cash each quarter as well as other prizes. Viewers are able to submit their predictions from their mobile or desktop device.
"We're thrilled to partner with NBC Sports Washington to bring the first predictive, free-to-play
live game telecast to the NFL," said Scott Shepherd, Senior Vice President. "This partnership strategically aligns with our organization’s commitment to constant innovation for our fans. We are continuously working to enhance the fan experience and strive to identify new, meaningful ways for our incredible fans to engage with our team."
