Parx Casino and Racing
Parx Casino and Racing is a Pennsylvania casino, Thoroughbred racetrack, sports-betting, entertainment, and online-gaming complex operated by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Parx Casino and Racing is a large casino and Thoroughbred racing destination in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Philadelphia. The property combines a one-mile dirt racing oval, a seven-furlong turf course, casino gaming, poker, sports betting, online gambling, dining, live entertainment, and off-track wagering. It is owned and operated by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, a Pennsylvania gaming company whose origins are associated with British bookmakers Bob Green and Bill Hogwood. The site began as Keystone Racetrack in November 1974, replacing Liberty Bell Park Racetrack as the principal Thoroughbred venue serving the Philadelphia area. After its acquisition by ITB in 1984, it was renamed Philadelphia Park and received a turf course and Phonebet, an early telephone wagering service. Greenwood Racing acquired the track in December 1990 and expanded its racing business through full-card simulcasting and off-track betting locations known as Turf Clubs. The property’s transformation into a racino followed Pennsylvania’s authorization of slot-machine gaming. A conditional slots license was awarded in September 2006, permanent approval followed in December 2006, and gaming initially opened in temporary areas of the racetrack. The principal casino building opened on December 18, 2009. The venue adopted the Parx name in 2009 and was formally rechristened Parx Racing and Casino in August 2010. Table games were introduced in July 2010, and gaming operations were subsequently divided between the main casino and the Parx East facility. Parx has developed into one of Pennsylvania’s largest gaming complexes. Its principal offerings include more than 3,200 slot machines, approximately 188 live table games, electronic table games, a poker room with 48 tables, sports wagering, online slots and table games, online poker, and the betPARX mobile platform. The property also includes the Xcite Center, a 30,000-square-foot entertainment venue with seating for more than 1,500 people, as well as restaurants, bars, event spaces, and hotel accommodation. A 2024 acquisition of the adjacent Inn at Fox Chase was intended to support the Parxview Hotel brand after earlier plans for a new 300-room hotel were put on hold. Racing remains a central part of the identity. Parx hosts the Grade I Pennsylvania Derby and Grade I Cotillion, as well as the Smarty Jones Stakes and other stakes events. The track is particularly associated with Smarty Jones, the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, who was based at the venue and narrowly missed the Triple Crown after finishing second in the Belmont Stakes. The property has also hosted fundraising and community events, including Jockeys and Jeans for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and Ladies Day at the Races activities connected with the Cotillion. The brand has expanded beyond its flagship Bensalem property. Parx Casino Shippensburg, a smaller casino in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, opened in January 2023 with slot machines, electronic table games, and dining. Parx also operates online gambling and sports betting in multiple regulated U.S. jurisdictions through betPARX. Its business therefore spans land-based casino entertainment, horse racing, wagering technology, hospitality, food and beverage, and live events rather than functioning solely as a racetrack or casino.
History
Parx Casino and Racing originated as Keystone Racetrack, which opened in November 1974 in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania. The new Thoroughbred track replaced Liberty Bell Park Racetrack in Northeast Philadelphia and became a major racing venue for the Philadelphia region. In 1984, ITB acquired the facility, renamed it Philadelphia Park, added a turf course, and introduced Phonebet, an early telephone-based wagering service. Greenwood Racing acquired the racetrack in December 1990. The company had been established in 1989 by Bob Green and Bill Hogwood, British bookmakers who became involved in Pennsylvania racing and gaming. Under Greenwood’s ownership, Philadelphia Park expanded full-card simulcasting and created off-track betting locations called Turf Clubs. In the late 1990s Greenwood also partnered with Penn National Gaming in a New Jersey venture known as Pennwood. That partnership acquired Freehold Raceway and leased Garden State Park, although Garden State Park later closed and was demolished. Pennsylvania’s legalization of casino gaming led to a major redevelopment of the racetrack. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board granted Philadelphia Park a conditional slots license on September 27, 2006, followed by permanent approval on December 20. Slot gaming began the next day in temporary space within the racetrack. The main casino building opened on December 18, 2009, and the property adopted the Parx name after a public unveiling in July of that year. The venue was formally renamed Parx Racing and Casino on August 30, 2010. Table games were added in July 2010, and the property later divided gaming operations between the main casino and the remodeled Parx East grandstand. Parx East opened for card gaming in December 2010. A $50 million expansion produced a new poker room and the Xcite Center in January 2018. The poker room opened with more than 48 tables, while the Xcite Center became a venue for concerts, comedy, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other performances. Sports betting became another major line of business after the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved Parx’s sports-wagering license in October 2018. Parx began live sports betting with a soft opening in January 2019 and opened a permanent 7,400-square-foot sportsbook in August of that year. The facility included a large high-definition media wall, seating, VIP areas, teller windows, and automated betting kiosks. Parx also launched online sports betting in 2019 and online casino gaming and poker after a July testing period. The brand’s digital footprint expanded in March 2022 with the betPARX application, which combined online gambling and sports betting and became available in several U.S. jurisdictions. Parx further expanded its physical network when Parx Casino Shippensburg opened in January 2023 in a former Lowe’s location. The smaller property offers slot machines, electronic table games, and food and beverage service. Racing remains an important component of Parx’s identity. The facility has hosted the Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion, Pennsylvania’s premier Thoroughbred events, along with other stakes races. Its most prominent racing association is Smarty Jones, the Parx-based horse that won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes before finishing second in the Belmont Stakes. The site has also hosted the Pennsylvania State Fair, the Claiming Crown, charitable racing days, and the Jockeys and Jeans fundraiser. The property has experienced serious safety-related controversies. In 2010, exercise rider Mario Calderon suffered fatal injuries in an incident on the Parx backstretch. A later court judgment awarded his family $7.8 million. In 2014, reports that Parx required jockeys to sign a waiver as a condition of riding prompted objections from the Jockeys’ Guild, which argued that the language conflicted with Pennsylvania law. In March 2018, Hall of Fame jockey Jose Flores suffered fatal injuries after an accident during the ninth race; the horse involved was euthanized. Parx has also pursued hotel development. A proposed 13-story, 300-room Parx Casino Hotel received Bensalem Township approval in March 2023, but construction was reported on hold later that year. In June 2024, Parx announced the purchase of the nearby Inn at Fox Chase, a 167-room hotel intended for renovation and rebranding. The supplied reference material states that the Parxview Hotel opened on March 26, 2026; this date should be independently verified because it is beyond the historical period covered by most of the cited material.
- 2024
Inn at Fox Chase acquired
[1]Parx purchased the adjacent hotel with plans to renovate and rebrand it.
- 2023
Parx Casino Shippensburg opens
[1]A smaller Parx casino opened in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
- 2022
betPARX launches
[1]The brand introduced a mobile platform for online gaming and sports betting.
- 2019
Sportsbook and online gaming launch
[1]Parx introduced retail and online sports betting and launched online casino games and poker.
- 2018
Xcite Center and new poker room open
[1]A major expansion added a large poker room and the Xcite Center entertainment venue.
- 2010
Parx Racing and Casino name adopted
[1]The property was rechristened Parx Racing and Casino as casino and racing operations were consolidated under the Parx identity.
- 2009
Main casino opens
[1]The principal casino building opened with thousands of slot machines.
- 2006
Slots license approved
[1]Pennsylvania regulators approved the property for slot-machine gaming, initiating its racino redevelopment.
- 1990
Greenwood Racing acquires the property
[1]Greenwood Racing purchased the oval and expanded simulcasting and off-track wagering.
- 1984
The track becomes Philadelphia Park
[1]ITB acquired the racetrack, renamed it Philadelphia Park, added a turf course, and introduced Phonebet wagering.
Products and positioning
A full-service regional gaming and entertainment destination that integrates casino gambling, Thoroughbred racing, sports wagering, online betting, dining, concerts, and hospitality for the Philadelphia-area and wider Pennsylvania market.
Land-based casino · 2009
Parx Casino
The flagship Bensalem casino offers more than 3,200 slot machines, live blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, electronic table games, poker, restaurants, bars, and other amenities. Gaming operates around the clock and is integrated with the racetrack and wider entertainment complex.
Thoroughbred racing · 1974
Parx Racing
The racing operation includes a one-mile dirt oval and a seven-furlong turf course. It hosts live Thoroughbred racing, simulcast wagering, and prominent stakes events including the Pennsylvania Derby, Cotillion, and Smarty Jones Stakes.
Sports betting · 2019
Parx Sportsbook
The retail sportsbook supports wagering across professional and collegiate sports and includes a large media wall, customer seating, VIP areas, teller windows, and self-service betting kiosks.
Online gambling and sports betting · 2022
betPARX
betPARX is Parx’s mobile and online wagering platform, offering online casino games and sports betting, with availability dependent on state regulation. The platform was introduced in 2022 and operates across several U.S. markets.
Entertainment venue · 2018
Xcite Center
The Xcite Center is a 30,000-square-foot live-events venue seating more than 1,500 people. Its programming includes concerts, comedy, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other performances for adult audiences.
Regional casino · 2023
Parx Casino Shippensburg
Parx Casino Shippensburg is a smaller Pennsylvania casino occupying a former retail site. It offers approximately 500 slot machines, 48 electronic table games, and the Liberty Bar and Grill.
Hotel
Parxview Hotel
Parxview Hotel is the hospitality offering associated with the Parx property. The supplied reference material links the name to the renovation and rebranding of the adjacent Inn at Fox Chase, but the reported opening date requires independent verification.
Controversies
2018
Fatal racing accident involving Jose Flores
Hall of Fame jockey Jose Flores was critically injured in a March 19 racing accident at Parx and died on March 22. The horse involved was euthanized after the incident.
2014
Jockey waiver controversy
Reports stated that Parx required jockeys to sign a waiver as a condition of riding at the track. The requirement was linked in reporting to litigation arising from the fatal 2010 backstretch injuries suffered by exercise rider Mario Calderon. The Jockeys’ Guild objected to the waiver’s language and advised members not to sign it.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Jockeys and Jeans fundraiser
United States
Parx hosted the fourth annual Jockeys and Jeans fundraising event supporting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The event formed part of a broader racing-industry effort to assist permanently disabled jockeys.
Outcome. The event was reported as having a fundraising goal of $200,000, within a series that had raised more than $650,000 before the Parx edition.
- 2010Parx Racing Ladies Day at the Races
Pennsylvania
The Cotillion program was associated with a breast-cancer fundraising initiative and racing events featuring female jockeys.
Brand decisions
2023
Expand the hotel and regional-property footprintStrategyBackground
Parx planned to strengthen hospitality around the flagship casino while continuing regional expansion.
Action taken
Bensalem Township approved plans for a new hotel, while Parx later acquired the neighboring Inn at Fox Chase and opened Parx Casino Shippensburg.
Aftermath
The new hotel construction was reported on hold in 2023, while the Shippensburg property expanded Parx’s physical casino network.
2019
Enter retail and online sports bettingProduct launchBackground
Pennsylvania regulatory approval allowed Parx to add sports wagering to its casino and racing business.
Action taken
Parx opened temporary and then permanent retail sportsbook facilities, launched online sports betting, and added online casino games and poker.
Aftermath
Sports wagering and digital gambling became additional channels alongside casino gaming and horse-race betting.
Sportsbook construction project. $10 million (2018-2019)
2018
Add poker and live entertainment facilitiesProduct launchBackground
Parx sought to broaden its non-slot gaming and entertainment offer.
Action taken
The property invested in a new poker room with more than 48 tables and opened the Xcite Center.
Aftermath
Parx expanded its programming into concerts, comedy, combat sports, and other ticketed events.
Expansion investment. $50 million (2018)
2006
Convert the racetrack into a racinoStrategyBackground
Pennsylvania’s expansion of legalized gaming created an opportunity to add casino operations to the established racing property.
Action taken
Parx pursued and received a slots license, then rebuilt portions of the grandstand and developed a dedicated casino building.
Aftermath
The property evolved from a conventional racetrack into a combined casino, racing, dining, and entertainment complex.
Recent events
- 2024
Parx purchases the Inn at Fox Chase[1]
M&A
Parx announced the acquisition of the neighboring 167-room Inn at Fox Chase, with plans to renovate and rebrand it as part of its hospitality offering.
- 2023
Parx opens Shippensburg mini-casino[1]
Product launch · M&A
Parx Casino Shippensburg opened in a former retail location with slot machines, electronic table games, and a restaurant.
- 2022
Parx launches betPARX[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The betPARX application expanded the brand’s mobile online casino and sports-betting proposition.
- 2019
Parx introduces sports betting[1]
Product launch · Regulation
Parx began sports betting in January 2019 and later opened a permanent sportsbook with large-format video displays, seating, teller windows, and self-service kiosks.
- 2019
Parx launches online casino and poker[1]
Product launch
After a testing period, Parx launched online slots, table games, and poker for eligible Pennsylvania customers.
- 2009
Parx opens its principal casino building[1]
Product launch
The reconstructed main facility opened with a large slot-machine gaming operation, marking the property’s transition into a major racino.
- 2006
Parx receives conditional Pennsylvania slots license[1]
Regulation
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board awarded the racetrack a conditional license for slot-machine gaming, enabling construction of the casino project.
Sources1 sources
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