Originally called Keystone Racetrack, it opened in November 1974 in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, replacing the Liberty Bell Park Racetrack in Northeast Philadelphia as the area's Thoroughbred track. When the track was purchased in 1984 by ITB, the racetrack received a new name, Philadelphia Park, a new turf course, and an innovative new way to wager called Phonebet.
In December 1990, the racetrack again changed hands when Greenwood Racing, Inc., a corporation founded in 1989 by Britishbookmaking veterans Bob Green and Bill Hogwood, purchased the oval from ITB. Full card simulcasting was added, as well as six off-track locations called Turf Clubs, allowing race fans to watch and wager seven days a week.
Late in 1998, Greenwood joined with fellow Pennsylvania corporation, Penn National Gaming, Inc., in expanding into New Jersey with the purchase of Freehold Raceway in Freehold Borough and the operating lease of Garden State Park in Cherry Hill. The new partnership, called Pennwood, was expected to pursue off-track and account wagering in New Jersey. Garden State Park closed in 2002, and was razed shortly thereafter. Simulcasting on cable broadcasting systems (notably those owned by Comcast) was discontinued in March 2010, and shortly replaced by Comcast with TVG Network, who later joined with Harrah's Chester to bring their own simulcasting betting accounts in October 2010.
On August 30, 2010, the track was rechristened as Parx Racing and Casino.
In November 2014, it was revealed that Parx was requiring jockeys to sign a waiver as a condition of riding there. It is believed that the waiver stemmed from a court judgement against Parx in favor of the family of Mario Calderon, an exercise rider who suffered fatal injuries in an incident on the Parx backstretch in 2010. The judgement required Parx to pay Calderon's family $7.8 million in damages. The Jockeys' Guild said that the waiver contained language "inconsistent with the laws of Pennsylvania" and it would instruct its members against signing it.[1]
In 2017, Parx hosted the fourth annual Jockeys and Jeans fundraiser for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The fundraiser has raised more than $650,000 with the goal of raising $200,000 in 2017. The event was previously held in Tampa Bay Downs, Indiana Grand, and Gulfstream Park.[2]
On March 19, 2018, a major accident occurred during the 9th race, in which hall of fame jockey Jose Flores was sent to a hospital following the incident. It was announced that he would be placed on life support a day later. The horse however had to undergo animal euthanasia. Flores was pronounced dead on March 22, 2018, at 12:42 pm.
Parx East, located in the grandstand of the racetrack
Parx Racing and Casino is the home of Pennsylvania's two premier Thoroughbred races, the $1 million (as of 2019) Grade I Pennsylvania Derby and the $1 Million Grade I Cotillion Handicap. The Pennsylvania Derby (which first served as a Memorial Day replacement for the Jersey Derby after the original grandstand at Garden State Park was destroyed by a fire in 1977), was held on Labor Day until 2010 when the race was moved to the last Saturday in September. This brought it closer to the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The Pennsylvania Derby is a 1.125 miles (1.811km) (nine furlongs) race for three-year-olds that has consistently attracted quality fields and large crowds. Over the past few years, it has evolved into a three-day festival that lasts all of Labor Day weekend at the racetrack, culminating with the running of the Derby. The festival has now become a month-long event that features the annual "Owners and Pennsylvania Day at the Races" the Saturday after Labor Day, and a new US$300,000 preliminary event on Labor Day named the "Smarty Jones." (This race was not run in 2006 because of the rebuilding of the main grandstand as a "racino".)
The Cotillion, which has been run since Thoroughbred racing began in Pennsylvania in 1969 at the old Liberty Bell Park in Northeast Philadelphia, is a 1.0625 miles (1.7099km) (Eight and a half furlong) race. It is held (as of 2010) on the first Saturday in October as part of a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen for the Curebreast cancer charity with races featuring female jockeys called "Parx Racing Ladies Day at the Races"
The main grandstand's lower floor was reconstructed back into a horse racing facility in September 2010.
The track's announcer was Keith Jones. Mr. Jones began his announcing career at Garden State Park as an assistant in the summer of 1985. He took over the full-time duties at Philadelphia Park in 1987. He also spent 13 years as the public address announcer for the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League and has had the chance to call a handful of games for the parent club, the Philadelphia Flyers. In addition, Mr. Jones serves as host of the TV program, "Let's Go Racing," a 30-minute show featuring highlights of local racing and major, national stakes. He is a member of the track's Hall of Fame, inducted with the inaugural class in September 2011. Jones retired on December 30, 2020.[3]
The Pennsylvania State Fair was held at the racetrack annually from 1987 to 2006. In 2002, the track hosted the Claiming Crown of horse racing.
On September 27, 2006, the racetrack was awarded a conditional slots license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, allowing construction to begin on the casino. Final approval of a permanent license came on December 20, 2006, and the following day the casino opened. Bally's was chosen as the casino management system.[5] The name of the casino - "Parx" - a modified spelling of the racetrack name - was unveiled following a fireworks display on July 4, 2009.
The plan for the 430-acre (170ha) site:
Phase 1: Renovation of the Grandstand, building of the Parx Casino. (Complete; opened December 18, 2009)[6]
Last Phase: Renovation of paddock. (Complete; opened in May 2010)
Parx has over 3,200 slot machines.[7] Electronic table games, such as roulette and blackjack, and video poker are also available. On December 18, 2009, the casino building opened, with 3,300 slot machines.[6] On July 18, 2010, the casino began operating table games.[8] Parx has 188 tables, offering games including blackjack, craps, roulette, and baccarat.[7]
Parx East, featuring card games, held its ribbon cutting ceremony on December 22, 2010. Parx East became the new name of the grandstand with gambling returning to that building. Gaming was now divided between two buildings on the Parx complex.[9]
In January 2018, the Xcite Center and adjacent brand new poker room featuring over 48 tables opened in the main casino building as part of a $50 million expansion; poker was previously in the Parx East building. The poker room opened on January 11, 2018, while the Xcite Center opened on January 13, 2018.[10]
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved a sports betting license for Parx on October 3, 2018.[11] On November 2, 2018, Parx announced plans for a $10 million project that constructed a sportsbook called Parx Sportsbook, with a planned opening date of 2019. In the meantime, the casino operated a temporary sportsbook in the space of the Club 360 bar.[12] Sports betting at Parx began on January 8, 2019, with a soft opening; the formal grand opening occurred on January 10, 2019.[13][14] The permanent 7,400-square-foot (690m2) sportsbook opened on August 8, 2019, which consists of a 156-foot (48m) HD media wall that can show 36 games at once, 200 seats, a bar, 3 VIP areas, 6 teller windows, and 18 automated kiosks.[15] Sports betting is available on multiple sports including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college football, college basketball, golf, soccer, and MMA.[16] Parx launched an online sports betting app on June 24, 2019.[17]
On July 15, 2019, Parx conducted a soft launch for online gambling, with the full launch occurring on July 18, 2019, after a testing period.[18][19] Online gambling offered by Parx consists of slot machines, table games, and online poker.[18] On March 15, 2022, Parx launched the betPARX app for online gambling and online sports betting.[20] The betPARX app is available in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Michigan, and Ohio.[21]
Parx is planning to construct Parx Casino Hotel, a 13-story hotel with 300 rooms, two restaurants, a coffee shop, banquet hall, spa, and fitness center, adjacent to the casino. Plans for the hotel were approved by Bensalem Township Council on March 13, 2023.[22] As of October 2023, construction on the Parx Casino Hotel is on hold. On June 24, 2024, Parx announced that it has purchased the Inn at Fox Chase, a 167-room hotel adjacent to the casino, which it plans to renovate and rebrand within the next year.[23]
Dining and entertainment
Parx Casino and Racing currently has the following dining and entertainment venues:[24][25]
The Xcite Center is an event center at Parx that hosts concerts, entertainment performances, comedy acts, and boxing and MMA matches. All shows require audience members to be age 21 or older.[26] The event center has an area of 30,000 square feet (2,800m2) and seats over 1,500 people.[10][26] The Xcite Center opened on January 13, 2018, with a sold-out concert by Chicago.[10]
Physical attributes
The track has a 1 mile (1.6km) dirt oval and a 7 furlong - .875 miles (1.408km) - turf oval.
Stakes races
The following stakes are run at Parx Racing and Casino in 2019:
Parx Casino Shippensburg is a mini-casino located in Shippensburg in Cumberland County. The mini-casino is located at the site of a former Lowe's store. The 73,000-square-foot (6,800m2) casino has 500 slot machines, 48 electric table games, and the Liberty Bar and Grill. Parx Casino Shippensburg opened on January 26, 2023.[29][30] A grand opening ceremony was held on February 3, 2023.[31]
Bensalem Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township borders the northeastern section of Philadelphia and includes the communities of Andalusia, Bensalem, Bridgewater, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, Flushing, Oakford, Siles, Trappe, and Trevose. Bensalem Township has no other incorporated municipalities within its boundaries. It is located within the Delaware Valley, also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing. It is known popularly in the region as "The Big M". Meadowlands has year-round horse racing as well as a number of bars and restaurants.
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with Darby Development, LLC.
Delaware Park is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia.
The Cotillion Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Parx Racing and Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. It is run in late September or early October as a prelude to the annual Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. The race is open to three-year-old filles, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. The Grade I event carries a purse of US$1 million.
Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack is a harness racing track and casino on the Chester, Pennsylvania waterfront. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment.
The Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racing track and casino which is located in Grantville, Pennsylvania, 17 miles (27 km) east of Harrisburg. It is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Penn Entertainment.
Presque Isle Downs & Casino is a casino and horse racing track near Erie, Pennsylvania, owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia, formerly SugarHouse Casino, is a casino entertainment development along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Fishtown neighborhood, one of five stand-alone casinos awarded a gaming license on December 20, 2006 by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Southland Casino Racing is a casino in West Memphis, Arkansas. Simulcast thoroughbred horse races from other tracks around the United States are also offered, along with greyhound racing from West Virginia.
The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, formerly The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, originally (1963) just The Meadows horse-racing track, is a Standardbred harness-racing track and slot-machine casino which is located in North Strabane Township, Pennsylvania, United States, about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. After 44 years as a racetrack, the casino was added in 2007. The real estate has been owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties since 2016, with the business operations owned by Penn Entertainment since 2018, including a long term lease agreement to Gaming and Leisure Properties.
Mohegan Pennsylvania is a racino located in Plains Township on the outskirts of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The casino features over 2,300 slots, live tables for blackjack, roulette and poker, and a sportsbook offering sports betting. The facility opened in 1965 as Pocono Downs, a harness racing track, which continues as an attraction at the complex.
Gambling in Pennsylvania includes casino gambling, the Pennsylvania Lottery, horse racing, bingo, and small games of chance conducted by nonprofit organizations and taverns under limited circumstances. Although casino gaming has been legal for less than two decades, Pennsylvania is second only to Nevada in commercial casino revenues.
Gambling in New Jersey includes casino gambling in Atlantic City, the New Jersey Lottery, horse racing, off-track betting, charity gambling, amusement games, and social gambling. New Jersey's gambling laws are among the least restrictive in the United States. In 2013, the state began to allow in-state online gambling. Five years later, the state won a lawsuit that dismantled Nevada's monopoly on legal sports betting.
Valley Forge Casino Resort is a casino in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. It was constructed on the existing site of the Valley Forge Convention Center and opened on March 31, 2012. It is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming.
Bally's Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort, previously Twin River Casino Hotel, is a casino, hotel, and former race track in Lincoln, Rhode Island, owned and operated by Bally's Corporation. The facility has 202,000 square feet (18,800 m2) of gaming space, with 3,900 slot machines, 110 table games, and 23 poker tables. The hotel has 136 rooms. Other amenities include a 29,000-square-foot (2,700 m2) event center, 16 eateries, 8 bars, and a racebook.
Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of Massachusetts include casinos, sports betting, parimutuel wagering on horse racing, the Massachusetts Lottery, and charitable gaming. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission regulates commercial operations under state jurisdiction.
Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia is a casino hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that opened in 2021. The casino is in South Philadelphia near the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. It has 208 hotel rooms, 2,100 slot machines, 150 table games, and a sportsbook. It is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by The Cordish Companies. Cordish also operates Xfinity Live! Philadelphia nearby.
The history of gambling in the United States covers gambling and gaming since the colonial period.
Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of New Hampshire include the New Hampshire Lottery, sports betting, parimutuel wagering, and charitable gaming. The state's Gaming Regulatory Oversight Authority (GROA) is part of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, which also maintains an Investigative & Compliance Division.
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