Lehigh Valley Could Host Two New Sportsbooks Within Six Months

• Lehigh Valley is a 42-mile area that has cities between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
• The Downs and Wind Creek could both have new sportsbooks in the near future.
• If accepted, the sportsbooks could open by the time the NBA playoffs begin.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Downs Racing LP filed a petition on Friday to start sports betting at The Downs.

Downs Racing LP is doing business as the Mohegan Sun Pocono. Last month, the Mohegan Sun Pocono opened up their own sportsbook. Now the casino wants to open another sportsbook at The Downs in Allentown. To do so, they filed a petition to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

“The facility is ideally located for a sports wagering operation, as it is easily accessible to sports fans and travelers alike,” said the petition.

The Mohegan Sun Pocono also filed a petition with the Horse Racing Commission. Doing so will allow them to renovate The Downs so it can offer legal sports betting. The petitions did not reveal what the new sportsbook would look like. It also did not say how long it would take to open the new sportsbook.

The Downs is not the only location in Leigh Valley to potentially have a new sportsbook. Wind Creek in Bethlehem also is making moves to open up their own sportsbook as well. Wind Creek had its grand opening last month.

During the opening, the chief operating officer Brent Pinkston expressed interest in hosting a sportsbook. However, he has not announced any formal plans right now. No petition has been filed by Wind Creek as well.

Until Wind Creek submits a petition, The Downs will likely be the first sportsbook in Lehigh Valley. It took six months for the Mohegan Sun Pocono to open their sportsbook. If the same timeline is expected, The Downs could have a sportsbook during both the NBA and NHL Playoffs.

News tags: Horse Racing Commission | Lehigh Valley | Mohegan Sun Pocono | NBA | NHL | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board | The Downs at Lehigh Valley | Wind Creek Bethlehem