The Pennsylvania sports betting market has reported a second consecutive month of decline, with revenue falling to 32.2% to $2.9m in May.
Total handle also declined, falling 2.3% month-on-month to $35.9m, according to the latest figures from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, though the launch of online sports betting suggested that the market will significantly pick up going forward.
Online bettors staked $573,163 on Rush Street’s SugarHouse-branded site over four days. This included a series of live tests from May 28-30, before its official launch on May 31. The operator generated revenue of $38,753 from the stakes.
This saw SugarHouse top the market, with total online and land-based betting revenue amounting to $711,845, a 8.9% drop from April. Total stakes at the soon-to-be rebranded venue rose marginally to $7.9m, with the online contribution offsetting a fall in retail wagers.
Coming in second was Rush Street’s other Pennsylvania property, Rivers Casino. Revenue for the property was down 26.5% at $641,029, though total stakes were around $1,000 above those placed in SugarHouse.
Parx Casino, down from first to third, saw revenue decline to $639,922, down 29.5% month-on-month, with handle down marginally to $6.8m. The FanDuel-powered Valley Forge Casino sportsbook followed with revenue of $240,766, just ahead of Penn National Gaming’s William Hill-powered sportsbook at the Hollywood Casino with $210,637 in revenue.
Greenwood Gaming’s South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook saw revenue plummet 61.8% in May to $168,815, ahead of Harrah’s Philadelphia, which accounted for $138,094 of the market total. Bringing up the rear was the Valley Forge Race and Sportsbook, with revenue of $110,744.
In May operators paid $973,030 in state taxes, down 32.2% month-on-month, with a further $57,237 going to the local authorities in which each venue is located.
Since the Pennsylvania sports betting market opened in November 2018, bettors have wagered $198.3m, resulting in $19.7m in operator revenue. From this licensees have paid $6.7m in state taxes, and $393,466 through the local share assessment tax.