Gambling in Pennsylvania Brings Record $574.5 Million

Gambling revenue in Pennsylvania rose to $574.5 million in March — the highest monthly figure in the state’s history. The main driver was the online segment, which generated $238.2 million, up 25% from the previous year.

Online slots brought in the most, totaling $179.5 million — a 32.5% increase year-over-year. Online table games added $56.2 million, and online poker contributed $2.6 million.

The top-grossing operator was Hollywood Casino along with its online partners, earning $90.7 million in March. Next came Valley Forge with $64.8 million and Rivers Casino Philadelphia with $38.6 million. These figures are especially impressive in light of the growing iGaming industry. Millions of Americans now prefer to gamble online instead of visiting land-based casinos. Similar trends are seen in neighboring Canada. According to CasinosBonusCA, no deposit free spins attract large numbers of new players. This suggests land-based venues may begin to face a shortage of visitors — but in Pennsylvania, that’s not yet the case.

It’s worth noting that gambling regulations vary across states. For example, Alabama’s gambling industry continues to struggle with challenges like the inability to block illegal sites, tribal influence, and outdated laws — issues that still need to be resolved.

Sports betting tells a different story. The total handle in March reached $842.9 million, but revenue plummeted nearly 41%. Only $27 million was earned, a weak showing for one of the country’s largest markets. The cause was a low average hold rate of just 3.2%. Nearly all bets were placed online, with retail sportsbooks contributing just $1.5 million.

FanDuel and Valley Forge Casino Resort led the market with $9.4 million in revenue on $328.6 million in bets. DraftKings and Hollywood Casino at the Meadows followed with $8.8 million. BetMGM came in third with $1.9 million.

Land-based casinos continue to lose ground. Revenue from retail slots fell 2.4% to $222.5 million. Table games brought in $81.9 million, down 3.9% from March last year.

Video gaming terminals showed a slight decline, generating $3.7 million — roughly flat. Fantasy sports, however, rose nearly 7% to reach $1.2 million.

Total gambling-related tax revenue reached $244.3 million. The online segment contributed the largest portion — $106.3 million. Sports betting generated $9.7 million, slots brought in $112.5 million, and table games added $13.7 million.