PENN Entertainment has added West Virginia to the list of states where its standalone Hollywood Casino app is available. This is the latest launch since the online casino app was first rolled out last December.
Key Takeaways
- Penn Entertainment has launched its standalone Hollywood Casino app in West Virginia after successful rollouts in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey.
- Data shows significant increases in both retail and online spending among customers using the app in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
- Executives reported record interactive revenue in July, driven by strong cross-play between sportsbook and casino products.
Following launches in Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, and now West Virginia, the company reports strong evidence that its omnichannel strategy is resonating with players. The Hollywood Casino brand, already tied to nearly 20 physical casinos in 11 states, produces a seamless connection between in-person and digital gaming.
In Pennsylvania and Michigan, retail customers who adopted the Hollywood Casino app demonstrated significant increases in overall spending. Company data from the first half of 2025 showed Pennsylvania users boosting retail theoretical play by 19% year-over-year, while online activity climbed 133%. Michigan's results were even stronger, with retail up 28% and online up 242%.
Executives attributed the growth not only to the migration of existing casino customers but also to cross-play between the Hollywood Casino app and PENN’s sportsbook offering, ESPN Bet.
CEO Jay Snowden emphasized in a conference call with investors earlier this month that the app produced sequential monthly growth and helped deliver record interactive revenue in July.
Todd George, Executive VP of Operations, added that sportsbook-to-casino cross-sell has proven especially effective. "We're seeing great migration and cross-play between the two, but also the cross-sell between sportsbook and iCasino has been very, very healthy," he explained.
Hollywood Casino Joliet opens $185 Million property
While PENN is gaining traction on its interactive side, the company did hit a milestone on its land-based side as well with the opening of Hollywood Casino Joliet in Illinois. The $185 million development replaces an older riverboat casino on the Des Plaines River and brings to market a new 189,000-square-foot property conceived to combine gaming, sports betting, and hospitality.
"After approximately 20 months of construction, we are thrilled to open the doors to this land-based entertainment destination. We are proud of our 30-year history in Will County and are committed to continuing our investment in the community…," Snowden said during the inauguration.
The new complex features 43 table games, nearly 1,000 slots, and a retail ESPN Bet sportsbook with one of Chicagoland's largest screens at its anchor. The casino employs around 600 team members and sustained an estimated 450 construction jobs during construction.
The grand opening featured visits by state and city officials, as well as Illinois Gaming Board members, Chicago Bears administrators, and former NFL player Tom Thayer during a ribbon-cutting event.
