While Metropolis, Illinois is not the Metropolis of comic book lore, it is now the home to a new experience the Harrah’s Casino hopes patrons will find super. The casino now offers in-person sports betting to guests via its new Caesars Sportsbook.
The new amenity will help to keep Harrah’s Casino in Metropolis competitive as the gambling landscape in southern Illinois grows. The launch of the physical sportsbook is well-timed with the NFL season ongoing.
Former NFL player George Wilson Jr. placed the ceremonial first bet
According to a post by Josh Seabaugh of KFVS, the casino held an opening ceremony for the sportsbook on Sept. 7. Former NFL player George Wilson Jr. placed the ceremonial first bet.
Caesars owns the Harrah’s brand and operates the casino, so the branding for the sportsbook was a foregone conclusion. Caesars offers a wide array of wagers to casino guests, including action on the current college football and NFL seasons.
With the new space, Harrah’s Metropolis hopes to become a popular spot during games. Betting is another way in which patrons can earn Caesars Rewards at the casino as well.
The sportsbook could also help set Harrah’s Metropolis apart from its nearby competition.
A new sports betting contender enters southern Illinois
About an hour away from Metropolis lies Carterville, Illinois, where the new Walker’s Bluff Casino recently opened. By Illinois law, brick-and-mortar casinos cannot open their on-site sportsbooks for at least their first months of operation.
Thus, Harrah’s Metropolis offers the only such space in the far southern region of the state, at least for now. It’s uncertain how soon Walker’s Bluff intends to start accepting sports bets from its guests. In the meantime, people in the area now have an option at Harrah’s.
Sports betting is very popular in Illinois, with residents and visitors betting almost $666 million on sports during June, the most recent month for which numbers are available. Among states with legal online sports betting, that was the second-highest such total in the nation for the month.
While most of that action comes from online wagers, Harrah’s now stands to see more of it.
