Pennsylvania gambling revenue hits record $601.8 million in May
Commercial gambling revenue in Pennsylvania reached $601.8 million during May, a new monthly record for the state, helped by double-digit growth across iGaming and sports betting.
May surpassed the previous record of $574.5 million, set in March this year, by 4.8%. It was also 15.5% higher than May 2024 and 7.7% ahead of April this year.
Data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board revealed year-on-year growth in several areas, most notably iGaming and sports betting. However, retail slots remained the primary sole source of revenue in Pennsylvania.
iGaming revenue up to $232.9 million
Total revenue from iGaming in May amounted to $232.9 million, up 33.8% year-on-year. Of this, $177.2 million was attributed to online slots, $52.9 million internet table games and $2.8 million poker.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course and its online gaming partners remained the runaway leaders. In total, their iGaming revenue topped $90.1 million, a rise of 38.4%.
Valley Forge Casino Resort again placed second with $64.1 million, up 44.4% year-on-year. Rivers Casino Philadelphia completed the top three with $36.9 million, 18% higher than 2024.
Sports betting growth in Pennsylvania
Turning to sports betting, revenue in this sector climbed 34.4% to $59.4 million. Some $56.4 million came from online betting and $3 million from wagering at retail sportsbooks across the state.
Spending-wise, total handle for the month was $655.4 million, an increase of 10.7% from last year. This included the $625 million bet online and $30.4 million at retail locations.
This corresponded to a statewide hold of 9.06% in May.
Looking to operators, FanDuel, partnered with Valley Forge Casino Resort, is still the one to beat. The partnership drew $28.4 million from $252.8 million wagered for an 11.23% hold.
DraftKings and its partner, Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, remained second, posting $15.7 million in revenue off a $168.9 million handle for a hold of 9.3%. Fanatics and Hollywood Casino York were third with $2.8 million from $43.2 million, meaning a 6.48% hold.
Elsewhere, ESPN Bet and Hollywood Casino at Penn National generated $2.6 million from $27.2 million for a hold of 9.56%. Bet365, linked to Presque Isle Downs and Casino, completed the top five with $2.3 million off $28.6 million for an 8.04% hold.
Slots growth offsets land-based declines
As for land-based gambling, there was again mixed news for Pennsylvania. Revenue from retail slots was 5% higher at $224.9 million, but there were declines elsewhere.
Land-based table games revenue was down by 4.6% to $79.9 million, while video gaming terminal revenue at truck stops also dropped 0.1% to $3.7 million. The PGCB also noted a 5.4% drop in fantasy sports revenue to $1.1 million.
Concluding with tax, total income for the state in May was $255.1 million. This included $104.6 million from iGaming, $21.4 million sports betting, $113.7 million land-based slots, and $13.4 million table games.