What Parx Casino is today
Parx is a full casino attached to a working racetrack, not a slot parlour with a token oval. Two buildings share the 430-acre site: the main casino, opened in December 2009, and Parx East, the old grandstand, which holds the racing apron and simulcast area. Slots and tables in the main Parx Casino building run 24 hours a day.
The track is a one-mile dirt oval with a seven-furlong turf course inside it. It opened in November 1974 as Keystone Racetrack, replacing Liberty Bell Park, became Philadelphia Park in 1984 and has been Parx Racing since August 2010. Smarty Jones, winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, was based here.
Racing at Parx: schedule and the Pennsylvania Derby
The 2026 calendar lists 149 live dates. The usual pattern is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, plus cards on Triple Crown Saturdays, Breeders’ Cup weekend and holidays. First post is 12:05 p.m. from November through early March and 12:40 p.m. the rest of the year, with a three-week summer pause around early August.
- Pennsylvania Derby / Cotillion day: Saturday, September 19, 2026, first post 10:35 a.m.
- Pennsylvania Day at the Races: Saturday, July 18 (Pennsylvania-bred thoroughbreds)
- Owner’s Day: Saturday, August 15
- Twilight Thursdays: July 2, 9, 16 and 23, 5 p.m. post
- Breeders’ Cup simulcast with live racing: October 30 and 31
The Pennsylvania Derby is the reason many out-of-town fans know the track. It is a $1 million Grade 1 for three-year-olds at a mile and an eighth, run in late September, a few weeks before the Breeders’ Cup. The Cotillion, worth the same, gives three-year-old fillies a matching race on the same card.
Betting at Parx is pari-mutuel, so payouts depend on how much money lands in each pool. Wagers go through mutuel windows, self-service terminals or the track’s own betting platform, and simulcast signals keep the race book busy on dark days. The pari-mutuel betting guide explains how win, exacta and pick-style pools work.
The Parx Casino gaming floor
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board counted an average of 2,976 slot machines at Parx Casino in August 2026, more than at any other licensed property in the state, plus 180 live table games. Blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat fill the banked tables, and a dozen hybrid tables pair a live dealer with electronic stations.
Poker has its own room next to the Xcite Center. It opened in January 2018 as part of a $50 million expansion and holds 48 tables, the highest poker count any Pennsylvania casino reported that month. The sportsbook, opened in August 2019, is built around a 156-foot video wall with teller windows, kiosks and a bar.
Parx Casino restaurants
- Parxgrill: the signature steakhouse, dinner from 5 p.m.
- Liberty Bell Gastropub and the all-season Liberty Bell Beer Garden, with a fire pit
- Bambu: Asian dishes, open until midnight
- Fat Stax and Chickie’s & Pete’s for casual meals and sports on TV
- Foodies: a food hall open until 2 a.m.
- Jax and Dunkin’ for coffee and quick bites
Of the Parx Casino restaurants listed above, Parxgrill is the one to book ahead for. The gastropub menu leans on Pennsylvania-sourced beef, pork and produce, while Foodies covers late hours after shows end. Bambu and Chickie’s & Pete’s stay open until midnight, and Jax opens at 9 a.m. for breakfast before the first race.
Xcite Center concerts and events
The Xcite Center is a 30,000-square-foot hall with seating for more than 1,500. It opened in January 2018 with a concert by Chicago and now books touring bands, tribute acts, comedians and boxing and MMA cards. Every show at the hall is 21+. Smaller events, from live bands to DJ nights, take place in the 360 bar and Xlounge.
Racing events fill the calendar as well. Pennsylvania Derby day is the largest crowd of the year, Owner’s Day in August celebrates local stables, and the July twilight Thursdays move first post to the evening. Parx publishes its events list on the casino site, and dates can shift, so checking it shortly before a visit is wise.
Hotel, getting there and nearby racinos
The Parxview Hotel opened on March 26, 2026 in the former Inn at Fox Chase, next to the casino, with about 167 renovated rooms. Parx sits on Street Road close to Interstate 95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, roughly 20 miles from Center City Philadelphia, and the Turnpike’s Bensalem interchange is minutes away.
Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester, a harness track with a casino, is about 35 miles south down I-95. Delaware Park in Wilmington is a short drive farther. Heading west, Hollywood Casino Penn National near Harrisburg races thoroughbreds at night, which makes a weekday doubleheader possible for keen fans. The Pennsylvania racinos overview lists all six tracks.
Online play tied to the Parx license
Pennsylvania allows online casinos, and each online brand must be tethered to a land-based license. Greenwood Gaming’s certificate covers betPARX, live since March 15, 2022, after an earlier Parx online casino launched in 2019. Players must be 21 and inside the state. The Pennsylvania state page explains the wider rules; set a budget before playing anywhere.