Pennsylvania sets new iGaming revenue record in December amid sports betting decline

Pennsylvania’s iGaming sector achieved a record-breaking $223.6 million in revenue for December, marking a 35.5% year-on-year increase and an 11.5% rise from the previous month’s record, according to figures released by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).  

The surge was driven by significant gains across online gambling categories:  
• Online slots led the way with $164.3 million, up 40.5% year-on-year.  
• Internet table games revenue grew 24.2%.  
• Online poker saw a modest 2.9% increase, reaching $2.5 million.  

Players wagered heavily, spending $4.28 billion on online slots and $3.01 billion on table games during the month.  

Hollywood Casino at Penn National led the iGaming sector with $86.4 million in revenue, up 41.8% from December 2024. Valley Forge Casino followed with $61.3 million, a 48.4% rise, while Rivers Casino Philadelphia earned $35.2 million, up 12.4%.  
In contrast, sports betting gross gaming revenue (GGR) dropped 69.9% year-on-year to $21.9 million, a sharp decline from November’s record $77.1 million. The statewide hold fell to 2.45%, significantly impacted by customer-friendly outcomes.  

The total sports betting handle reached $893.4 million, representing a 3.5% decrease compared to December 2022. Of this total, online betting accounted for $848.8 million, while retail betting contributed $44.6 million.

FanDuel and Valley Forge Casino maintained their lead in the sports betting market, generating $14.1 million in revenue from a $353.3 million handle, with a 3.99% hold. DraftKings and Hollywood Casino at the Meadows followed with $7.3 million from $238.5 million, holding at 3.06%.  

BetMGM and Hollywood Casino Morgantown, usually strong performers, reported a $259,670 loss on $66.2 million in wagers due to unfavorable outcomes.  

Revenue from land-based casinos also declined in December:  
• Physical slots revenue fell 2.7% to $202.1 million.  
• Retail table games revenue dropped 4.3% to $79.4 million.  

Meanwhile, video gaming terminals (VLTs) dipped 0.9% to $3.4 million. Fantasy sports revenue, however, rose 9.7% to $2.7 million.  

The state collected $223.7 million in gambling taxes for December. Retail slots led with $102.2 million, followed by $98.2 million from iGaming and $7.7 million from sports betting.