Sports betting decline hits Pennsylvania gambling revenue in February

Total commercial gaming revenue in Pennsylvania hit $477.3 million (£367.9 million/€437.6 million). This was short of $499.1 million in February last year and also 9.8% behind January 2025.

Sports betting operators struggle

Breaking down data published yesterday (18 March) by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the standout figure is another drop in sports betting revenue. The sector has now seen revenue decline for three consecutive months, although February’s drop is perhaps the most striking.

Gross sports betting revenue was just $7.4 million, down 75.3% and the lowest since February 2022 when a $442,847 loss was recorded. Online wagering actually generated $10.4 million in revenue, but a $2.9 million loss from the retail market led to the overall figure being lower.

The decline came despite a 14.4% increase in player spending from last year. In total, $756.9 million was wagered on sports in February, including $726.7 million in online handle and $30.2 million at retail sportsbooks.

As such, the state was left with a monthly hold of only 0.98%.

Looking at operators, only five partnerships were able to generate positive revenue during the month. FanDuel and Valley Forge Casino Resort posted $13.7 million – significantly more than any other active operator – off $284.5 million in bets for a hold of 4.82%.

In contrast, the next highest revenue was $145,583, coming from Live! Casino Pittsburgh, another FanDuel partner. Based on a handle of $866,247, this resulted in a 16.43% hold.

Next was Rivers Casino and its BetRivers sportsbook, posting $115,186 off a $12.1 million handle for a hold of 0.96%. Presque Isle Downs and TwinSpires, along with Mohegan Lehigh Valley, were the only other operators with positive revenue.

Other leading operations, including partnerships between DraftKings and Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, and between BetMGM and partner Hollywood Casino Morgantown, all reported losses.

Online casino revenue rises 12.3%

Turning to online casino, this made for more positive reading in Pennsylvania. For February, the sector generated $207.6 million, up 12.3% from last year.

Growth was driven by a 22.6% increase in internet slots revenue to $154.3 million. However, online table games revenue slipped 10.1% to $50.9 million, while internet poker revenue was only 0.4% higher at $2.4 million.

Operator-wise, there is seemingly no stopping Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course and the online gaming sites that partner with it. In February, its online gambling revenue topped $89.5 million, although this was 2.7% lower than last year.

Also among the front-runners was Valley Forge Casino Resort, which saw revenue rise by 10% to $81.4 million. Rivers Casino Philadelphia completed the top three with $50.7 million in igaming revenue, up 5% from 2024.

Declines across land-based slots and table games

As for land-based gambling activities, there were declines across the board in Pennsylvania.

While retail slots remain the primary source of gambling revenue at $186.3 million, this was 8.1% lower than last year. Land-based table games revenue fell 7.2% to $71.2 million.

In addition to this, video game terminal (VGT) revenue dropped 1.2% to $3.2 million, although daily fantasy sports revenue increased 17.5% to $1.5 million.

For Pennsylvania’s tax revenue, the state was able to collect a total of $202.5 million from all forms of gambling in February. Of this, just $2.7 million came from sports betting, due to the sizeable drop in revenue.

Online casino taxes hit $91.8 million, retail slots $94.2 million and land-based table games $11.9 million. Meanwhile, VGT tax stood at $1.7 million and fantasy sports $224,393.