Pennsylvania Hits New High of $423.6M Revenue for July

Online gambling revenue was the leader for the month, with $88.7m, while land-based casinos are gaining momentum again.

New Record Month for Pennsylvania Gambling

Pennsylvania hit a record monthly revenue of $423.65m generated from all forms of gaming in July, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced on August 17. The new figures are significantly higher than the $281.4m reported in July 2019, as, in 2020, most casinos remained closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The figures also surpass May 2021’s record of $413.1m in gross gaming revenue (GGR). Pennsylvania’s gaming industry is the second-largest in the country, while the leader is Nevada. 

Revenue in July 2021 came from slot machines, table games, iGaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests and VGTs (video gaming terminals). Land-based casinos accounted for a big chunk of the total number following the reopening of physical establishments. Last year, facilities faced long periods of closures due to COVID-19, or were operating under strict restrictions. 

In March 2020, Pennsylvania’s commercial casinos were shut down as ordered by Gov. Tom Wolf and resumed operations on a regional approach in June. Currently, restrictions have either been eased or removed completely. 

Online Gambling Leads the Ranking 

Online gambling revenue was the champion for the month with $88.7m, which corresponds to a 63.1% rise from $54.4m last year. Websites generated $63.2 million revenue from internet slots, $22.8 million from interactive tables and $2.6 million from online poker. 

The top casino in terms of iGaming revenue in July is Hollywood Casino at Penn National, with $32.1m. Next in the ranking is Rush Street Interactive partner Rivers Casino Philadelphia, with $25.8m, followed by FanDuel partner the Valley Forge Casino Resort, with $14.2m. 

Sports betting revenue reported a 145.7% annual increase to $19m, as bettors could take advantage of the full sports calendar, while last year events were canceled due to the pandemic. Some $17.2m came from online channels, while retail revenue stood at $2.7m for the month. 

Sports betting number one was Valley Forge Casino and FanDuel, with $9.6m, followed by Barstool Sports and Meadows Casino, with $2.9m. DraftKings and Hollywood Casino at Penn National were third with $1.9m. 

Fantasy sports revenue was up 69.6% higher to reach $1.6m, with DraftKings topping the chart with $831,907 in revenue, followed closely by FanDuel with $729,606.