Poker rooms slowly started to reopen at casinos in Pennsylvania nearly seven months after the casinos and subsequently poker games were shut down in March as a result of coronavirus.
Due to the social nature of the game, poker rooms were not permitted to welcome back players when casinos started reopening in June.
Sep 03, 2020 BetRivers Sportsbook at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh just launched the BetRivers Sportsbook Rewards program. With their Rush Rewards Players Club cards, players who accumulate $1,000 in wagers will earn $5 comp points to be used throughout the casino. Poker Room Details Venue Type Casino Rewards Program Rush Rewards Card Comps & Promotions $1/hour comp rate Rivers Casino Details. Cell phone limitations at table: No.
Five poker rooms reopened as of mid-November with Parx, the state's largest, set to return in December. The city of Philadelphia added restrictions included another shutdown of Rivers Casino Philadelphia until at least Jan 1, taking away another option for live poker.
One poker room continues to remain conspicuously quiet – Wind Creek Casino.
Wins and losses for Wind Creek
Wind Creek is one of the larger poker rooms in Pennsylvania rooms with 26 tables. Located in Bethlehem, PA, it's in a prime spot to attract visitors from New York City and northern New Jersey.
A representative from Wind Creek told PlayPennsylvania they had no update on when the poker room would open. On Nov. 18, Wind Creek opened the Betfred sportsbook. The sportsbook is the first for Wind Creek in the United States and the third US retail location for Betfred Sports.
Wind Creek claimed a number of honors from Casino Player Magazine in October including being named best:
- Overall Gaming Resort
- Table Games
- Poker Room
However, it hasn't been all good news at Wind Creek Casino. Wind Creek announced layoffs on Sept. 24 that affected about 20% of its workforce. Total revenue in October was $33.1 million, a 16.41% decrease from October 2019.
Wind Creek provided the following statement to LehighValleyLive regarding recent layoffs:
'With recent business volumes significantly lower than we had hoped, we were forced to make this incredibly difficult decision. The hospitality and gaming industries have been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that our reduction in workforce will in the long term positively affect our future success.'
In addition, Wind Creek also announced the permanent closure of Emeril's Fish House.
A Wind Creek employee provided an update on some of the happenings at Wind Creek including the poker room. The person agreed to share their insight based on the condition of anonymity.
'When Wind Creek shut down in mid-March, they could've easily had a mass layoff but they didn't. They continued to pay all employees until May 31, 2020. Even those that work on tips got an average hourly wage and they continued to pay for benefits. Most casinos around the country just straight up laid off hundreds of dealers back in the spring.'
On June 1, the poker room employees were furloughed. They stopped getting paid but the full-time workers could keep their health benefits as long as bi-weekly premiums were paid. On Sept. 30, all poker room employees were laid off/terminated and the poker room was made into a high-limit slots parlor.
'We were told it was being turned into a high-limit slots parlor for the time being. Obviously a casino makes way more money on slot machines than a poker room, so I believe they're focusing on that right now.'
The employee said it is their belief along with other employees that the poker room is not closed permanently and will eventually reopen.
'The plan is to reopen the poker room in the future. But who knows what the future entails considering what is looking like another round of closures. Wind Creek does see the value in the poker room but I think right now they're trying to recover from the major financial hit they took during the 3.5 months we were closed up. The client base of the poker room really enjoyed playing at Wind Creek. I know some of them think it's closed permanently but that isn't likely the case.'
Poker pales in revenue comparison
In fiscal year 2019/2020, poker accounted for $37 million in total revenue across the state's ten poker rooms. That number pales in comparison to the $607 million in total revenue by all other table games.
Casinos, trying to recover from an unprecedented financial hit as a result of COVID closures and operating at reduced capacity, are likely allocating resources to games that generate more revenue.
In late August, PlayPennsylvaniaexclusively reported that Harrah's Philadelphia would not reopen their WSOP poker room.
Meanwhile, PokerStars PA remains the only online poker option in the state – for now.
Pennsylvania poker revenue by casino
As you can see from the table below, live poker is not the biggest revenue earner for PA casinos (though it can help drive other verticals).
2019/2020 Fiscal Year Poker Revenue in PA (figures from the PGCB):
| Tables | Gross Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Parx | 48 | $12.1 million |
| Rivers Casino Philadelphia | 28 | $6.1 million |
| Wind Creek | 26 | $5.9 million |
| Rivers Pittsburgh | 30 | $4.5 million |
| Hollywood Casino | 17 | $2.3 million |
| Harrah's Philadelphia (now closed) | 27 | $2.2 million |
| Mohegan Sun | 9 | $1.4 million |
| The Meadows | 14 | $1.1 million |
| Mount Airy | 12 | $757,893 |
| Presque Isle | 7 | $682,906 |
RIVERS CASINO PHILADELPHIA ANNOUNCES JANUARY EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS
Lunar New Year and Dine Out at Hugo's Week highlight monthly offerings
PHILADELPHIA — Jan. 2, 2020 — Welcome the new year this January with new gaming and dining promotions at Rivers Casino Philadelphia. Enjoy a delicious dining special this month with the Lunar New Year special at Mian, as well as a special at Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House during Dine Out at Hugo's Week. Meanwhile, enter for a chance to win a prize package to the big game in the Sportsbook Ticket Giveaway. These are just some of the many offerings in store this month at Rivers Casino Philadelphia.
Food and Beverage
Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House — Enjoy the Dine Out at Hugo's Week and Buck-a-Shuck offerings at Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House:
- Dine Out at Hugo's Week — From Jan. 12 through Jan. 24, guests can enjoy mouthwatering dishes with a three-course prix fixe lunch and dinner menu during Restaurant Week at Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House. Guests can have a special Hugo's lunch for $20 per person or dinner for $35 per person.
- Buck-a-Shuck — Buck-a-Shuck days, featuring $1 oysters, are Thursdays from 5-8 p.m.
On Fridays and Saturdays in January, guests will enjoy live piano music in the casino's first-class steakhouse from 6-10 p.m. Live music on Thursdays is from 5-9 p.m.
Mian — Enjoy the Lunar New Year, $18 lunch special and more at Mian this January:
- Lunar New Year Special — From Jan. 1 through Jan. 31, Mian is celebrating the new year with a delicious special featuring New Year's soup, Chinese sausage with Asian vegetables, ginger scallion lobster, steamed fish of the day and more. The celebration continues on Jan. 25 at 8 and 11 p.m., where guests can enjoy the lion dance.
- $18 Lunch Special — From noon to 6 p.m. daily, guests can enjoy fried rice, General Tso's chicken, shrimp and scrambled eggs, and many other offerings on Mian's lunch specials menu. Lunch specials come with a small soup, two house-made shrimp rolls and choice of entrée, all for $18.
- Mian Dim Sum Play & Earn — Any guest playing for a minimum of two hours and betting $20 per hand on Asian table games will be eligible to receive a voucher for two dim sum menu items served in Mian. Voucher is valid for dine-in only.
BetRivers Sportsbook — Swing into the BetRivers Sportsbook in January for this month's specials:
- $3 Miller Lite Philadelphia Football Special — Every Eagles game day, the BetRivers Sportsbook is offering $3 Miller Lite pounders.
- $12 Miller Lite Bucket of Pounders Special — The BetRivers Sportsbook offers a bucket of Miller Lite pounders for just $12.
- $5 Game Day Specials — The sportsbook is now offering $5 game day food specials, seven days a week. The featured menu items include:
- A five-piece box of Krispy Krunchy Chicken whole wings with special sauce
- A loaded chili cheese dog
- La Frieda all-beef cheeseburger brisket, chuck and short rib blend
- Firehouse chili topped with onions and cheddar cheese
- 'Jacked-up' cheesesteak nachos with picode gallo, Cheez Whiz and onions
- Cheesy fries
Lou's Pizza — Lou's Pizza offers savory pies made with fresh ingredients, where guests can enjoy pizza by the slice or a whole 20-inch pie.
- Slice and Beverage Special — Lou's is now offering guests a slice of pizza and any beverage for just $6.
The Coffee Spot — The Coffee Spot, which proudly serves Starbucks coffee, delivers a variety of expertly roasted coffee products, fresh fruit smoothies and locally baked pastries.
Promotions, Contests and Sweepstakes
Rivers Casino Poker Room Promotions Online
Sportsbook Ticket Giveaway— From now until Tuesday, Jan. 7, guests will receive one entry into the Sportsbook Ticket giveaway for each professional football wager of $200 or greater for the chance to win a prize package to the big game. Guests must visit a ticket writer at the counter to receive their entry, and one winner will be selected at the drawing on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at noon.
Progressive Payday January Earning — From Wednesday, Jan. 1, through Friday, Jan. 31, Rush Rewards Members can earn a variable amount of tier points to qualify for the $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000 Progressive Payout drawings. Each qualifying guest will receive one entry into their respective drawing.
Holiday Hangover Sweepstakes — Rush Rewards Members will receive one free entry into the Holiday Hangover Sweepstakes and can earn additional entries for every 25 tier points earned on Fridays in January. Each Friday from 8-9:45 p.m., three winners will be selected every 15 minutes for the chance to win up to $1,500 in Free Play. At 10 p.m., one winner will be selected to receive $2,500 cash.
Beat the Freeze Sweepstakes — On Saturday, Jan. 4, Rush Rewards Members will receive one free entry into the Beat the Freeze Sweepstakes and can earn additional entries for every 25 tier points earned. From 7-9:30 p.m., six winners will be selected every 30 minutes to win their share of $1,000 in Free Play. At 10 p.m., one guest will win an all-expense paid trip to Costa Rica.
Winner Warm Up Sweepstakes — Rush Rewards Members will receive one free entry into the Winner Warm Up Sweepstakes and can earn additional entries for every 25 tier points earned on Tuesdays in January. Each Tuesday from 4-7:30 p.m., five winners will be selected every 30 minutes to win up to 140,000 Rewards Points. At 8 p.m., one winner will be selected to win 50,000 Rewards Points.
Follow the Cash Social Media Giveaway — Starting Jan. 1, Rush Rewards Members have the chance to win $1,000 cash for following the Rivers Casino Philadelphia Instagram account. One winner will be selected on Monday, Feb. 3.
Winning Wednesdays — Starting Jan. 1, guests can enter the Winning Wednesday's social media contest by liking the posts that highlight one new slot machine each week on the Rivers Casino Philadelphia Facebook page. One winner will be selected every Wednesday at 4 p.m. to receive 10,000 Rewards Points.
$20,200 New Year's Day Prize Wheel — On Wednesday Jan. 1, Rush Rewards Members can earn entries for a chance to spin the prize wheel and win up to $20,200 cash. From 3-8 p.m., four winners will be selected every 30 minutes to spin the wheel and receive various amounts of Free Play or $20,200 cash.
$10K Progressive Payout Sweepstakes — On Saturday, Jan. 11, guests who earned 250 tier points in December are eligible to win $2,500 cash. From 6-10 p.m., two winners will be selected every 30 minutes to win a Free Play prize or $2,500 cash.
$25K Progressive Payout Sweepstakes — On Saturday, Jan. 18, guests who earned 500 tier points in December are eligible to win $5,000 cash. From 6-10 p.m., two winners will be selected every 30 minutes to win a Free Play prize of $5,000 cash.
$50K Progressive Payout Sweepstakes — On Saturday, Jan. 25, guests who earned 1,000 tier points in December are eligible to win $10,000 cash. From 6-10 p.m., two winners will be announced every 30 minutes to win a Free Play prize or $10,000 cash.
To learn more about Rivers Casino Philadelphia, please visit RiversCasino.com/Philadelphia.
Rivers Poker Room
$100,000 Guaranteed Little Rush Tournament — The Rivers Casino Poker Room will host Little Rush, a big blind ante, multi-day No Limit Texas Hold'em poker tournament from Jan. 19-26. Day 1 flights (Jan. 19-25) feature 20,000 starting stacks for $150; Day 2 is Sunday, Jan. 26 at noon.
No-Limit Texas Hold 'em January Tournament Schedule*:
- 11 a.m. Sundays — $150 entry, $5,000 guaranteed prize pool
- 7 p.m. Mondays — $125 entry, $4,000 guaranteed prize pool
On June 1, the poker room employees were furloughed. They stopped getting paid but the full-time workers could keep their health benefits as long as bi-weekly premiums were paid. On Sept. 30, all poker room employees were laid off/terminated and the poker room was made into a high-limit slots parlor.
'We were told it was being turned into a high-limit slots parlor for the time being. Obviously a casino makes way more money on slot machines than a poker room, so I believe they're focusing on that right now.'
The employee said it is their belief along with other employees that the poker room is not closed permanently and will eventually reopen.
'The plan is to reopen the poker room in the future. But who knows what the future entails considering what is looking like another round of closures. Wind Creek does see the value in the poker room but I think right now they're trying to recover from the major financial hit they took during the 3.5 months we were closed up. The client base of the poker room really enjoyed playing at Wind Creek. I know some of them think it's closed permanently but that isn't likely the case.'
Poker pales in revenue comparison
In fiscal year 2019/2020, poker accounted for $37 million in total revenue across the state's ten poker rooms. That number pales in comparison to the $607 million in total revenue by all other table games.
Casinos, trying to recover from an unprecedented financial hit as a result of COVID closures and operating at reduced capacity, are likely allocating resources to games that generate more revenue.
In late August, PlayPennsylvaniaexclusively reported that Harrah's Philadelphia would not reopen their WSOP poker room.
Meanwhile, PokerStars PA remains the only online poker option in the state – for now.
Pennsylvania poker revenue by casino
As you can see from the table below, live poker is not the biggest revenue earner for PA casinos (though it can help drive other verticals).
2019/2020 Fiscal Year Poker Revenue in PA (figures from the PGCB):
| Tables | Gross Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Parx | 48 | $12.1 million |
| Rivers Casino Philadelphia | 28 | $6.1 million |
| Wind Creek | 26 | $5.9 million |
| Rivers Pittsburgh | 30 | $4.5 million |
| Hollywood Casino | 17 | $2.3 million |
| Harrah's Philadelphia (now closed) | 27 | $2.2 million |
| Mohegan Sun | 9 | $1.4 million |
| The Meadows | 14 | $1.1 million |
| Mount Airy | 12 | $757,893 |
| Presque Isle | 7 | $682,906 |
RIVERS CASINO PHILADELPHIA ANNOUNCES JANUARY EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS
Lunar New Year and Dine Out at Hugo's Week highlight monthly offerings
PHILADELPHIA — Jan. 2, 2020 — Welcome the new year this January with new gaming and dining promotions at Rivers Casino Philadelphia. Enjoy a delicious dining special this month with the Lunar New Year special at Mian, as well as a special at Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House during Dine Out at Hugo's Week. Meanwhile, enter for a chance to win a prize package to the big game in the Sportsbook Ticket Giveaway. These are just some of the many offerings in store this month at Rivers Casino Philadelphia.
Food and Beverage
Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House — Enjoy the Dine Out at Hugo's Week and Buck-a-Shuck offerings at Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House:
- Dine Out at Hugo's Week — From Jan. 12 through Jan. 24, guests can enjoy mouthwatering dishes with a three-course prix fixe lunch and dinner menu during Restaurant Week at Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House. Guests can have a special Hugo's lunch for $20 per person or dinner for $35 per person.
- Buck-a-Shuck — Buck-a-Shuck days, featuring $1 oysters, are Thursdays from 5-8 p.m.
On Fridays and Saturdays in January, guests will enjoy live piano music in the casino's first-class steakhouse from 6-10 p.m. Live music on Thursdays is from 5-9 p.m.
Mian — Enjoy the Lunar New Year, $18 lunch special and more at Mian this January:
- Lunar New Year Special — From Jan. 1 through Jan. 31, Mian is celebrating the new year with a delicious special featuring New Year's soup, Chinese sausage with Asian vegetables, ginger scallion lobster, steamed fish of the day and more. The celebration continues on Jan. 25 at 8 and 11 p.m., where guests can enjoy the lion dance.
- $18 Lunch Special — From noon to 6 p.m. daily, guests can enjoy fried rice, General Tso's chicken, shrimp and scrambled eggs, and many other offerings on Mian's lunch specials menu. Lunch specials come with a small soup, two house-made shrimp rolls and choice of entrée, all for $18.
- Mian Dim Sum Play & Earn — Any guest playing for a minimum of two hours and betting $20 per hand on Asian table games will be eligible to receive a voucher for two dim sum menu items served in Mian. Voucher is valid for dine-in only.
BetRivers Sportsbook — Swing into the BetRivers Sportsbook in January for this month's specials:
- $3 Miller Lite Philadelphia Football Special — Every Eagles game day, the BetRivers Sportsbook is offering $3 Miller Lite pounders.
- $12 Miller Lite Bucket of Pounders Special — The BetRivers Sportsbook offers a bucket of Miller Lite pounders for just $12.
- $5 Game Day Specials — The sportsbook is now offering $5 game day food specials, seven days a week. The featured menu items include:
- A five-piece box of Krispy Krunchy Chicken whole wings with special sauce
- A loaded chili cheese dog
- La Frieda all-beef cheeseburger brisket, chuck and short rib blend
- Firehouse chili topped with onions and cheddar cheese
- 'Jacked-up' cheesesteak nachos with picode gallo, Cheez Whiz and onions
- Cheesy fries
Lou's Pizza — Lou's Pizza offers savory pies made with fresh ingredients, where guests can enjoy pizza by the slice or a whole 20-inch pie.
- Slice and Beverage Special — Lou's is now offering guests a slice of pizza and any beverage for just $6.
The Coffee Spot — The Coffee Spot, which proudly serves Starbucks coffee, delivers a variety of expertly roasted coffee products, fresh fruit smoothies and locally baked pastries.
Promotions, Contests and Sweepstakes
Rivers Casino Poker Room Promotions Online
Sportsbook Ticket Giveaway— From now until Tuesday, Jan. 7, guests will receive one entry into the Sportsbook Ticket giveaway for each professional football wager of $200 or greater for the chance to win a prize package to the big game. Guests must visit a ticket writer at the counter to receive their entry, and one winner will be selected at the drawing on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at noon.
Progressive Payday January Earning — From Wednesday, Jan. 1, through Friday, Jan. 31, Rush Rewards Members can earn a variable amount of tier points to qualify for the $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000 Progressive Payout drawings. Each qualifying guest will receive one entry into their respective drawing.
Holiday Hangover Sweepstakes — Rush Rewards Members will receive one free entry into the Holiday Hangover Sweepstakes and can earn additional entries for every 25 tier points earned on Fridays in January. Each Friday from 8-9:45 p.m., three winners will be selected every 15 minutes for the chance to win up to $1,500 in Free Play. At 10 p.m., one winner will be selected to receive $2,500 cash.
Beat the Freeze Sweepstakes — On Saturday, Jan. 4, Rush Rewards Members will receive one free entry into the Beat the Freeze Sweepstakes and can earn additional entries for every 25 tier points earned. From 7-9:30 p.m., six winners will be selected every 30 minutes to win their share of $1,000 in Free Play. At 10 p.m., one guest will win an all-expense paid trip to Costa Rica.
Winner Warm Up Sweepstakes — Rush Rewards Members will receive one free entry into the Winner Warm Up Sweepstakes and can earn additional entries for every 25 tier points earned on Tuesdays in January. Each Tuesday from 4-7:30 p.m., five winners will be selected every 30 minutes to win up to 140,000 Rewards Points. At 8 p.m., one winner will be selected to win 50,000 Rewards Points.
Follow the Cash Social Media Giveaway — Starting Jan. 1, Rush Rewards Members have the chance to win $1,000 cash for following the Rivers Casino Philadelphia Instagram account. One winner will be selected on Monday, Feb. 3.
Winning Wednesdays — Starting Jan. 1, guests can enter the Winning Wednesday's social media contest by liking the posts that highlight one new slot machine each week on the Rivers Casino Philadelphia Facebook page. One winner will be selected every Wednesday at 4 p.m. to receive 10,000 Rewards Points.
$20,200 New Year's Day Prize Wheel — On Wednesday Jan. 1, Rush Rewards Members can earn entries for a chance to spin the prize wheel and win up to $20,200 cash. From 3-8 p.m., four winners will be selected every 30 minutes to spin the wheel and receive various amounts of Free Play or $20,200 cash.
$10K Progressive Payout Sweepstakes — On Saturday, Jan. 11, guests who earned 250 tier points in December are eligible to win $2,500 cash. From 6-10 p.m., two winners will be selected every 30 minutes to win a Free Play prize or $2,500 cash.
$25K Progressive Payout Sweepstakes — On Saturday, Jan. 18, guests who earned 500 tier points in December are eligible to win $5,000 cash. From 6-10 p.m., two winners will be selected every 30 minutes to win a Free Play prize of $5,000 cash.
$50K Progressive Payout Sweepstakes — On Saturday, Jan. 25, guests who earned 1,000 tier points in December are eligible to win $10,000 cash. From 6-10 p.m., two winners will be announced every 30 minutes to win a Free Play prize or $10,000 cash.
To learn more about Rivers Casino Philadelphia, please visit RiversCasino.com/Philadelphia.
Rivers Poker Room
$100,000 Guaranteed Little Rush Tournament — The Rivers Casino Poker Room will host Little Rush, a big blind ante, multi-day No Limit Texas Hold'em poker tournament from Jan. 19-26. Day 1 flights (Jan. 19-25) feature 20,000 starting stacks for $150; Day 2 is Sunday, Jan. 26 at noon.
No-Limit Texas Hold 'em January Tournament Schedule*:
- 11 a.m. Sundays — $150 entry, $5,000 guaranteed prize pool
- 7 p.m. Mondays — $125 entry, $4,000 guaranteed prize pool
Rivers Casino Poker Room Promotions 2019
- 7 p.m. Wednesdays — $125 entry, $5,000 guaranteed prize pool
- 11 a.m. Saturdays — $65 entry
*Note: No daily tournaments during Little Rush (Jan. 19-26)
Daily High Hands — As Philadelphia's first and only poker room, Rivers features more than $240,000 worth of high hands in January. The high-hand promotion is offered daily*, and players can win $500 high hands Monday through Saturday.
*Varying high-hand amounts start at $200 and are offered every 30 minutes at selected times.
Rivers Casino Poker Room Promotions Online
Bad Beat Jackpot — The current Bad Beat Jackpot is $100,000, and the minimum qualifying hand is quad 2s.
For more information on tournaments and promotions, please visit RiversCasino.com/Philadelphia/Poker or stop by the poker desk.
To stay up to date on all entertainment or to learn more about Rivers Casino Philadelphia, please visit RiversCasino.com/Philadelphia.
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ABOUT RIVERS CASINO PHILADELPHIA
Located along the Delaware Riverfront in Philadelphia, Rivers Casino Philadelphia, formerly SugarHouse Casino, features 1,755 slots, 106 table games, 65 hybrid gaming seats, a 28-table poker room and a designated sportsbook area for live sports betting. The casino offers seven distinctive restaurants and bars — among them are Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House, Mian and Geno's Steaks — riverfront views, live performances in The Event Center, free parking, and promotions and giveaways daily. Rivers, which opened as SugarHouse Casino in 2010, employs approximately 1,600 Team Members and has been voted a great place to work in Philadelphia. Rivers Casino Philadelphia is owned and operated by Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates. For more information, visit RiversCasino.com/Philadelphia.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeff Shurilla
For Rivers Casino Philadelphia
267-932-8760, ext. 304
jeff@hornercom.com
