Staff
With the launch of the first PA sports betting apps on May 28, 2019, the future of Pennsylvania sports betting is here. PlaySugarHouse.com was the first sportsbook to launch and the rest of the PA sportsbooks should open in the near future.
But much like sports betting itself, it was probably already here. Or at least a hybrid between PA online and retail sports betting has been here since the launch of the state’s first sportsbooks.
Self-service sports betting kiosks combine the retail sports betting and PA sports betting app experiences. Several PA sports betting operations have had the machines available since they started taking bets.
What’s a self-service sports betting kiosk?
These computerized kiosks essentially offer retail sportsbook access to an online sports betting app, improving the customer experience through the various efficiencies, conveniences, and benefits the kiosks provide.
Self-service sports betting kiosks employ software that is as user-friendly as any PA sports betting app. But the machines may be even easier to use because they accept cash and a variety of other forms of payment.
Of course, you have to go to a PA sportsbook or casino to use a kiosk. However, navigating your way through the betting process is as easy there as it is with PA online sports betting.
In fact, anyone who has ever used a touch-screen device like a smartphone or tablet can become a self-service sports betting kiosk expert quite quickly.
Books and bettors love kiosks
Most sport bettors just as quickly fall in love with kiosks because they cut down on wait times and eliminate the biggest barrier to market entry.
The machines take away the need to wait in line at a window to place a bet. Plus, they remove the intimidation many experience when placing a bet with sportsbook staff, where it often seems like a special sports betting jargon may be required.
Additionally, kiosks offer gamblers the chance to look through betting options before placing a wager. They can see the possible outcomes immediately and adjust accordingly. In the end, customers find this leads to an improved understanding of how sports betting odds works.
Sportsbooks see it leading to increased wagering with limited overhead increases, which is why operators love kiosks just as much.
The improved accessibility and convenience self-service sports betting kiosks provide are good for both sides.
Placing a bet at a self-service sports betting kiosk
Placing a bet at a self-service sports betting kiosk in PA is an easy process. Just follow these simple steps:
1. Put cash, vouchers, or a player account card with money loaded onto it into the kiosk.
2. Browse through the menu to find the bets you like. You can search by sport, league, and event, see all the odds available, and drill down until you locate what you’re after.
3. Choose between a single bet and a parlay. When you’re making several bets at once most kiosks will put it together as a parlay. However, you can easily switch it back to single bets with the click of a button or touch of the screen.
4. Confirm your wager, end your session, print your ticket, and walk away.
PA sports betting kiosk betting tips
Using a sports betting kiosk can be even easier when you follow these tips:
1. If you can use a tablet or smartphone you can place a bet
Basically, self-service sports betting kiosk give gamblers touch-screen access to a sportsbook’s odds board the same way PA sports betting sites do. That means you can easily search through all the bets available. It also means navigating your way around the odds board on a kiosk is as easy as clicking buttons or tapping tabs the same way you would with a PA sports betting app. You just tap the bets you’re interested in to put together a betting slip, then confirm it. It’s a process most of us are familiar with having used our tablets and smartphones to do something similar every day.
2. Take a PA sports betting kiosk for a spin
Self-service sports betting kiosk show you the outcome of a bet the instant you tap on it and key in an amount to wager. That means you can change things up, move them around, and see the outcome of a variety of different bets before you place one.
Obviously, this gives you the chance to see how the odds work and learn more about the ins and outs of PA sports betting. PA sports betting apps offer the same opportunity. Kiosks are just a way to access that information at a retail sportsbook and instantly bet on it.
3. Fast and efficient payment options
The self-service sports betting kiosk at most PA sportsbooks allow you to bet with cash, vouchers, or money loaded on your player account card. Most will soon allow you to connect to your PA online sports betting account as well. That means betting at a kiosk is akin to using an ATM. That’s something almost anyone can do with ease. It’s not that getting money on and off a PA sports betting site is difficult. It’s just that doing it at self-service sports betting kiosk is even easier.
4. Hold on tight to your tickets
Self-service sports betting kiosk print tickets for your bet. If you have a winner, it’s this ticket you’ll use to get the winnings. You can place any number of bets during a kiosk session and print up each individual bet on single tickets or one ticket with multiple bets. When you win a bet, you can take that ticket back to a kiosk or to a betting window to collect cash or use it to place more bets.
Betslip building
Several sportsbooks offer bet builder apps you can use online, including:
- PlaySugarHouse
- BetRivers
- Parx Casino Sportsbook
These apps allow you to put together betslips in advance of making a bet with a mobile device or computer.
The odds available on the apps are up-to-date. It’s like using a kiosk itself. The only difference is you can’t pull the trigger on the bet. Instead, the apps generate a QR code you can scan in at a self-service sports betting kiosk on the property to place the bet. These apps essentially bring the PA online sports betting experience together with sports betting kiosks.
There is nothing to fear from betting in PA at a kiosk
Betting at a sportsbook can be intimidating, especially for first-timers. It’s almost like the attendants at the window are speaking a different language with all the rotation numbers and technical sports betting jargon. Sports betting kiosks remove any possible embarrassment you might endure from these interactions by removing the interactions entirely. At a kiosk, you make choice from an simple menu. There’s absolutely nothing to intimidate or embarrass you. You can do it at your own pace and make sure you understand exactly what’s going on before any bet is placed.
Big bets belong elsewhere
Any bet you can make at a window can be made at a self-service sports betting kiosk. That means:
- Spreads
- Moneylines
- Totals
- Parlays
- Props
If it’s on the board at a sportsbook it’ll be available on the kiosk.
If there is an exception it is exceptionally large bets. Many high-limit bets require approval from a sportsbook supervisor and therefore must be placed at a window.
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