In January, Pennsylvania's total gambling revenue reached $529.1 million (£417.8 million/€504.7 million), according to data released on February 20 by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. This figure represents an increase from $477.2 million in January 2024, although it reflects a slight drop of 0.8% from $533.1 million earned in December.
Online gambling significantly outperformed other sectors, generating revenue of $210.2 million, a 40.5% increase compared to the previous year. However, this amount was lower than the peak of $223.6 million recorded in December. Online slots were the biggest contributors, earning $158.6 million, up 44.2% year-on-year. Revenue from internet table games also increased by 32.7% to $48.9 million, while online poker saw a decrease of 2.3%, bringing in $2.6 million.
Consumers placed approximately $4.23 billion on online slots in January, with another $2.92 billion spent on table games; figures for online poker were not disclosed.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National dominated the igaming market, with January revenues hitting $79.7 million, a 57.9% rise from the same period last year. Valley Forge Casino secured the second position with $57.6 million, up 38.5%, while Rivers Casino Philadelphia followed in third place with $35.4 million, marking a 19.8% increase.
In the realm of sports betting, revenue experienced a further decline for the second month in a row, totaling $51.5 million; this was a 26.4% drop year-on-year. The trend reflects challenges faced across multiple states in January, attributed to favorable sports outcomes for bettors.
Online sports betting generated revenue of $49.2 million, while retail sportsbooks accounted for $2.3 million. The overall handle for January reached $873.1 million, a 1.8% increase from the previous year, comprised of $830.4 million from online sources and $42.8 million from retail outlets, resulting in a statewide hold of 5.90%.
Leading the sports betting sector were FanDuel and its partner Valley Forge Casino Resort, with taxable revenue amounting to $28.8 million and a total handle of $342.3 million, achieving an 8.41% hold. DraftKings, in collaboration with Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, secured the second position with $15.0 million from $221.0 million in handle, equating to a 6.79% hold. BetMGM, in partnership with Hollywood Casino Morgantown, also improved its standing, earning $3.4 million from $68.7 million, for a 4.95% hold.
Other operators in Pennsylvania included Parx Casino and Kambi, which reported $1.1 million in revenue from an $18.7 million handle, resulting in a 5.88% hold. In a contrasting turn, ESPN Bet and Hollywood Casino York, which had ranked third in December, recorded a loss of $1.8 million.
Shifting to land-based gambling, all primary sectors saw revenue increases in January. Slot machine revenue rose 4.6% to $187.8 million, table games revenue inched up 1.5% to $73.7 million, and video gaming terminals were up 4.5% to $3.2 million. Fantasy sports also saw a rise, with revenue climbing 8.9% year-on-year to $2.7 million.
Tax revenues for January totaled $221.6 million, comprising $93.9 million from igaming, $51.5 million from sports betting, $94.8 million from land-based slots, and $12.3 million from table games, with the remainder derived from video gaming terminals and fantasy sports.
