When Pennsylvania’s 12 brick-and-mortar casinos closed in mid-March to slow the spread of coronavirus, so did the state’s two off-track betting locations.

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The South Philadelphia Race & Turf Club and Oaks Race & Sportsbook, both operated by Parx, remain shuttered. Greenwood Racing Inc. owns Parx and both of the OTBs.

South Philadelphia Race & Turf Club started offering sports betting in January 2019, and Oaks Race & Sportsbook (then Valley Forge Turf Club) followed in March 2019.

Parx Live Racing Calendar

Most casinos in PA open

The first casinos started to reopen in Pennsylvania on June 9. Eleven PA casinos were open by June 29 when their home counties moved to the “green” phase of PA’s reopening plan.

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh recently closed for a week due to an uptick in the positive cases in Allegheny County.

The Oaks Race & Sportsbook currently closed

The Oaks Race & Sportsbook, located in Montgomery County, moved to the green phase on June 26. Valley Forge Casino, located in the same county, welcomed back guests on June 26.

A call to Oaks Race & Sportsbook was answered by a voicemail message saying, “Thank you for calling Valley Forge Race and Sportsbook. For hours of operation, press 1. We are open at noon daily, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday until 10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday until 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday until midnight.”

The Oaks Facebook page has not been updated since October 2019.

Parx’s website does not indicate that Oaks Race & Sportsbook is closed.

Deer, dangling weatherstripping and debris

PlayPennsylvania took a ride to check out the Oaks Race & Sportsbook on July 5.

The parking lot was completely empty. Signs on the doors said:

“Due to the shutdown by Governor Wolf of non-essential businesses, the Oaks Race and Sportsbook will be closed until the ban is lifted. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any tickets that you would like to cash during this time, please visit Parx Casino or South Philly Race and Sportsbook. Both locations as of March 13th, 2020 are open for business. We hope that everyone stays safe and healthy during this time. See you soon – Oaks Race and Sportsbook.”

The property looked like no one had been attending to it. The grass was overgrown, and what appeared to be weatherstripping was hanging from the roof.

A major storm ripped through the area in early June, causing about 850,000 power outages. The weatherstripping and tree debris in the parking lot could be the remnants of that.

Wildlife weekend out in Oaks

Oaks Race & Sportsbook was deserted during our visit save for two deer at the edge of the parking lot.

They weren’t the only wildlife out for a Sunday stroll, as an emu got loose on U.S. Route 422 (again).

The Oaks Race & Sportsbook today.

Overgrown grass, no signs of possible reopening, wildlife roaming in the parking lot. pic.twitter.com/pMGN7DMFRv

— Katie Kohler (@kkohler1129) July 5, 2020

Philadelphia in modified green phase

Philadelphia, home of the South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook, entered “a modified, restricted green phase of reopening” on Friday, July 3.

In Philadelphia’s modified green phase, casinos can resume operations with strict restrictions. All PA casinos must abide by Pennsylvania Gaming Control BoardCOVID-19 Casino Reopening Protocols. The 10-page document details the minimum safety and health-related requirements that are mandatory before reopening.

Rivers Casino Philadelphia, the only casino in the city limits, has yet to announce a planned return date.

A call to South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook is answered by a voicemail message saying, “Thank you for calling Parx Racing at South Philadelphia. We are open at noon daily, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday until 10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday until 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday until midnight.”

Parx Racing at South Philadelphia’s Facebook page has not been updated since 2015.

On its website, Parx does not say that South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook is closed.

Parx Casino did not reply to PlayPennyslvania‘s request for comment.

South Philly Race & Sportsbook closed, despite voicemail saying otherwise

A visit to the South Philadelphia & Sportsbook on July 6 revealed an empty parking lot and locked doors.

A sign said:

“The South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook is temporarily closed for the safety of our guests. We anticipate reopening on March 29, 2020. We apologize for any inconvenience – South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook Management.”

Across the street, Live! Hotel and Casino Philadelphia continued to rise from the spot of the former Holiday Inn in anticipation of its late December opening.

It’s the end of the road for Oaks Race & Sportsbook.

During a call to Parx yesterday, a customer service rep said the OTB was permanently closed. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) confirmed that Parx had informed them about Oaks Race & Sportsbook’s closure.

A July 7 visit by Play Pennsylvania to Oaks Race & Sportsbook in Montgomery County revealed overgrown grass, debris from a storm and deer wandering the parking lot.

Closed, but Parx can still decide to reopen at a later date

A call to Oaks Race & Sportsbook was answered by voicemail, which said:

“You have currently reached Oaks Race & Sportsbook. We are currently closed. Any 2019 uncashed tickets may be redeemed at Parx Casino or Parx Racing in Bensalem until July 31. “

PGCB Director of Communication Doug Harbach commented:

Parx Casino Racing

“We will work with Parx if they would decide to resume operations at a later date, which they can do at any time since their sports wagering license permits auxiliary locations. If that occurs, of course, we would need to conduct some new testing before the operations would reopen.”

One year ago, the OTBs had high hopes

Parx operates South Philadelphia Race & Turf Club and Oaks Race & Sportsbook. Greenwood Racing Inc. owns Parx and both of the OTBs.

South Philadelphia Race & Turf Club started offering sports betting in January 2019, and Oaks Race & Sportsbook (then Valley Forge Turf Club) followed in March 2019. Oaks Race & Sportsbook completed a $500,000 renovation prior to offering sports betting. The improvements included several high-definition televisions and improved surveillance equipment.

It had a favorable location, off of busy US 422 and near the Marketplace at Oaks and the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.

Oaks Race & Sportsbook reached its all-time high for handle ($3 million) in March 2019 and revenue ($449,597) in April 2019. One year later, in March 2020, it dipped to its lowest handle ($284,736) and went into the red for revenue (-$8,526).

Parx Live

OTBs and Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos closed in mid-March to slow the spread of coronavirus. The first casinos in Pennsylvania began welcoming back visitors on June 9. By July 17, all 12 PA brick-and-mortar casinos were back in operation.

South Philly OTB still closed

PlayPennsylvania also visited South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook on July 6. The door was locked, and the parking lot was empty. We returned on July 11 to find the same situation.

The customer service rep at Parx on a call yesterday said that “South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook isn’t opening yet.”

A call to South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook was answered by voicemail, which said, “Thank you for calling Parx Racing at South Philadelphia. We are open at noon daily; Sunday, Monday and Tuesday until 10 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday until 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday until midnight.”

Mobile betting rules PA

Despite its favorable location and upgrades, Oaks Race & Sportsbook suffered from the advent of online wagering, which started in late May 2019 in Pennsylvania. Currently, there are nine online sportsbooks, which account for about 90% of the state’s sports wagering handle.

It’s also likely that coronavirus shutdowns, capacity limits and no smoking/eating/drinking rules harmed Oaks Race & Sportsbook’s prospects.