Sports Betting, iGaming Boost PA Revenues

Sports betting and online gaming shored up Pennsylvania’s revenue numbers last month, as a full sports calendar saw sports wagering handle hit a record $365 million in August. That’s a 234.7 percent increase over August 2019, and a 121.5 percent jump over July 2020. It also is 4.8 percent higher than the state’s previous all-time record of $348.4 million, bet in January.

Mobile sports betting in Pennsylvania remained the primary wagering method, with more than 88 percent of all bets coming from the internet.

Online casino games and poker reached another all-time high for August with $56 million in revenue, topping the $54.4 million generated a month earlier. This resulted in a $15.8 million tax into state coffers and another $6.3 million in local share assessments.

Overall, sports betting and iGaming revenue pushed total August revenue for Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos to $310.7 million, an almost 6 percent increase over the same month last year—this despite brick-and-mortar casinos operating at 50 percent capacity.

Recent Articles

History Playbook

On This Day In Sports History

On November 5, 1968, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Denny McLain became the first American League player to win both the AL Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award in the same season, following a historic 31–6 campaign.

On This Day In Sports History

On November 4, 1928, high-stakes gambler and bootlegger Arnold Rothstein was fatally shot following a high-roller poker game in New York City. Best known for fixing the 1919 World Series, Rothstein’s legendary life and betting exploits inspired classic mob and casino lore, including characters in The Great Gatsby and Boardwalk Empire.