SugarHouse Casino has become the first casino in Pennsylvania to officially launch its own online sportsbook. The casino was given approval by regulators this past Tuesday to flip the switch on the operations, which then offered the experience the same day from 4 PM to midnight. Two similar, but longer, tests will run today and tomorrow and a full-blown launch should be coming this Friday.

SugarHouse began offering its online sportsbook to gamblers in New Jersey when that state legalized sports gambling and Pennsylvania’s sports gambling fans are able to access the service using the same website, playsugarhouse.com. Using geolocation information, visitors in the state will automatically be redirected to pa.playsugarhouse.com.

It’s been a long day coming and SugarHouse has been chomping at the bit to roll out the online service in Pennsylvania. Sports gambling has generated over $125 million since the activity was legalized last November and online wagers are expected to drive revenue even higher, both for the company and the state.

Jessica Welman, a sports betting analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com, agrees. She states, “There is no question that the growth of the Pennsylvania sports betting market has been slowed by the delayed launch of online apps. The launch of sports betting apps will give us our first true look at Pennsylvania’s potential as a market, which we believe should rival New Jersey and eventually Nevada as the nation’s largest market.”