Pennsylvania operators reported record igaming revenue for the second consecutive month. But in December, sports betting revenue declined due to customer-friendly results that impacted the wider sector.
Total revenue from gambling in Pennsylvania in December totalled $533.1 million (£463.5 million/€517.3 million). This is 0.2% lower than the previous year and also 5.2% less than November’s $562.4 million record hold.
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) figures highlight igaming as the state’s stand-out segment in December. Monthly revenue here hit $223.6 million, some 35.5% ahead of December 2023 and 11.5% above November’s existing record.
Of this total, $164.3 million came from online slots, up 40.5% year-on-year. Internet table-games revenue also increased by 24.2%, while online poker revenue edged up 2.9% to $2.5 million.
Players spent $4.28 billion playing online slots during December, as well as $3.01 billion on internet table games. Online poker spend was not disclosed.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National remains the operator to beat in the igaming sector. For the month, revenue topped $86.4 million, some 41.8% more than in 2023.
Valley Forge Casino again placed second with $61.3 million in igaming revenue, an increase of 48.4%. Rivers Casino Philadelphia placed third on $35.2 million, up 12.4%.
Sports betting dips in Pennsylvania
Sports betting gross gaming revenue (GGR) was 69.9% lower year-on-year at $21.9 million. This is also a far cry from November’s $77.1 million record haul, falling 71.6% short.
This comes as little surprise, with several other states, including New Jersey and New York, also reporting a declines in December. Customer-friendly results have seen players win more and operators take a hit as a result.
Online betting revenue for the month reached $21.6 million, with retail at $222,395.
As for handle, this topped $893.4 million, down 3.5% year-on-year and 4.5% less than the record $935.5 million in November. Players spent $848.8 million betting online and $44.6 million at retail sportsbooks.
This meant Pennsylvania ended December with a state-wide hold of just 2.45%.
No stopping the FanDuel train
In terms of operators, FanDuel and partner Valley Forge Casino Resort remain the market leaders by some way. Revenue in November hit $14.1 million on $353.3 million handle for a 3.99% hold.
DraftKings and Hollywood Casino at the Meadows placed second with $7.3 million off $238.5 million handle, leaving a 3.06% monthly hold. ESPN Bet and Hollywood Casino York moved up to third with $782,109 off $45.5 million in bets for a hold of 1.72%.
Parx Casino and Kambi followed with $606,330 from $17.3 million handle for a 3.50% hold. Live Casino Philadelphia, another FanDuel partner, was next on $302,458 off $6.7 million in bets, resulting in a 4.49% hold.
However, such was the impact of unfavourable sports results that BetMGM and partner Hollywood Casino Morgantown which, usually among the market’s frontrunners, reported a loss of $259,670 from $66.2 million in wagers.
What happened elsewhere in Pennsylvania?
As for other areas of the market, declines were also reported in the land-based casino sector in December. Physical slots revenue dipped 2.7% to $202.1 million, while retail table games revenue fell 4.3% to $79.4 million.
Elsewhere, video gaming terminal (VLTs) revenue was 0.9% lower year-on-year at $3.4 million. On the flip side, fantasy sports revenue climbed 9.7% to $2.7 million.
Looking at tax, this amounted to $223.7 million in December. Retail slots generated the most at $102.2 million, with table games at $13.2 million. Some $98.2 million came from igaming, $7.7 million sports betting, $1.8 million VLTs and $404,660 fantasy sports.
