Gambling revenue in Pennsylvania increased 49.7% year-on-year to a record $423.8m in July as the state saw growth across all sectors of the market.
July’s figure surpassed the previous record of $413.2m set in May this year and was also far higher than the $283.1m posted in July of 2021.
The significant year-on-year rise was partly down to the reopening of land-based casinos, with some facilities having been closed for parts of July 2020 due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), while others faced strict operating restrictions.
However, many measures have now been eased or removed completely, allowing patrons to return to the casinos in greater numbers.
Breaking down segment performance, online gambling revenue for the month amounted to $88.7m, up 63.1% from $54.4m last year. Online slots revenue was by far the main source of income for operators at $63.2m, ahead of online table games revenue at $22.9m and online poker revenue at $2.6m.
The Hollywood Casino at Penn National led the way with $32.1m in igaming revenue in July, ahead of Rush Street Interactive partner Rivers Casino Philadelphia on $25.8m and FanDuel partner the Valley Forge Casino Resort with $14.2m.
Turning to sports wagering, revenue here rocketed 145.7% year-on-year to $19.0m as bettors benefitted from a more traditional sports calendar, with events last year having been disrupted by the pandemic. Online revenue reached $17.2m while retail revenue hit $2.7m for the month.
The state’s handle was also up 84.7% to $304.4m, but this was the lowest monthly amount since July last year.
Valley Forge Casino, partnered with FanDuel, led the market with $9.6m in sports betting revenue for the month, ahead of Barstool Sports partner the Meadows Casino on $2.9m and DraftKings and partner Hollywood Casino at Penn National with $1.9m.
Fantasy sports revenue was also 69.6% higher at $1.6m, with DraftKings heading the sector on $831,907 in revenue, ahead of main rival FanDuel with $729,606.
Looking at land-based casinos as these remained by far the main source of gambling income for the state. Retail slots revenue jumped 35.0% year-on-year to $222.9m, while retail table games revenue was also up 65.5% up to a record $86.9m.
In addition, video gaming terminals revenue jumped 81.0% year-on-year to $3.8m, again as a result of the reopening of land-based facilities following the easing of Covid-19 rules in the state.