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<p>PLAINS TWP. &#8212; Don&#8217;t expect to put down a few bucks on the NCAA basketball tournament at Mohegan Sun Pocono this year.</p><p>With March Madness tipping off in earnest on Thursday, nearly two months after the casino announced it would bring legal sports betting to Northeastern Pennsylvania, officials still don&#8217;t know when it will launch a sportsbook.</p><p>However, Mohegan Sun Pocono President and CEO Anthony Carlucci said the casino is working to get one up and running, promising it will eventually bring dozens of jobs to the area.</p><p>&#8220;We have many professionals from both the Pocono team and our corporate leadership, Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, working together on development as we prepare to go live as quickly as possible,&#8221; Carlucci said.</p><p>Carlucci said the casino is still in the process of obtaining the $10 million license.</p><p>&#8220;We hope to attain approval in the next hearing with the commonwealth,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Still, according to Doug Harbach, a spokesperson for the state&#8217;s Gaming Control Board, a petition requesting approval for sports wagering has not been filed with the gaming board by Mohegan Sun Pocono.</p><p>&#8220;They still have not filed a petition,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So no dates have been set by the board.&#8221;</p><p>The casino does not have a target launch date.</p><p>Carlucci did discuss some details of the casino&#8217;s plans for sports gambling.</p><p>&#8220;Our goal is to have the capability for guests to place their bets in more than one location within the casino,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Currently, Mohegan Sun Pocono&#8217;s sportsbook will be conveniently located near the main entrance.&#8221;</p><p>Wagers on all major professional sporting events in the U.S. and around the world will be taken, including baseball, basketball, football and hockey.</p><p>&#8220;We anticipate that college sports will be available,&#8221; Carlucci added. &#8220;However, what is included within our offerings will depend on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania&#8217;s final ruling.&#8221;</p><p>Carlucci expects the jobs to be generated by both the work required to launch the sports book and to keep it staffed once its up and running.</p><p>The casino has a five-year deal with European-based Kindred Group, previously known as Unibet Group, to run the sportsbook. There is also the possibility of two additional five year extensions.</p><p>Kindred, based in Malta, operates 11 online gambling brands across Europe and Australia.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Mohegan Sun Casino and Hotel in Plains Township.  Don Carey Times Leader Photo.</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_MoheganCasino-cmyk.jpg</photo0><caption0>Mohegan Sun Casino and Hotel in Plains Township.  Don Carey Times Leader Photo.</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Mohegan Sun Pocono CEO talks jobs, but no timetable for sportsbook opening