According to state figures, the combined total revenue generated from all forms of gaming and fantasy contests during February was almost $302 million, a decline of less than 1% compared to a year ago.
January revenue, by contrast, was more than $311 million.
PA online casino revenue in February was above $70 million for the third month straight.
The release of the gaming revenue figures came exactly one year since the virus pandemic led to orders to shutter all Pennsylvania casinos for what was then an indefinite period, setting off a rippling shockwave that is still being felt.
The virus’s effects began several weeks before the ordered state shutdown and likely had some influence on last February revenue numbers.
Michigan sprints past PA in revenue
Despite a record for per-day revenue of $2.8 million for all online games in February, Pennsylvania is now just the third-largest online casino market in the U.S.
Newly launched Michigan is in second place, and New Jersey remains first.
Looking back a year, PA statewide revenue was down by just .78%, from $304.4 million in 2020 to nearly $302 million this February.
Total online gambling revenue in February was nearly $77.8 million.
Online slots accounted for nearly $50.9 million. Table games brought in nearly $24.7 million in revenue and poker revenue in February was just above $2.5 million.
Total tax revenue generated collectively through all forms of gaming, including video gaming terminals and fantasy contests, was nearly $122.9 million during February.
Revenue online rocketed, retail hung on
Over the past year, retail slots were down by nearly 27% to $145.8 million, and retail table games revenue fell off by nearly 25.9%.
But PA online casino games saved the gaming revenue bacon.
Online slot revenue jumped more than 425% in 12 months. And online table games climbed 207.5%.
While down from record revenues, online poker was still up YoY in February by almost 37.7%, with more than $2.5 million in revenue.
Sports betting revenue from all sources was up more than 246.9% over last year, with combined revenue of more than $16.4 million. Total handle was $509.5 million, PA’s fourth best month.
An uneven experience year-over-year
The bounce-back from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic appears extremely uneven at the casino properties.
Double-digit decreases in revenue percentages during this February versus a year ago were the norm for most casinos, but several properties defied the trend.
Two – Hollywood and Valley Forge – posted amazing numbers.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National was up just over an astounding 82% at almost $41.9 million, largely due to online. Online accounted for nearly $28 million at Hollywood. The online slot revenue was nearly $17.7 million. Online table games were more than $10.3 million.
The other gainers were:
- Valley Forge Casino Resort up more than 66.4% with more than $31.5 million.
- Mount Airy Casino up more than 3.9%, up to nearly $19.5 million this February.
Revenue percentage losers outnumbered winners
The biggest loser year-over-year was Rivers Pittsburgh, down nearly 38%, with revenue of nearly $21.5 million, compared to $34.6 million a year ago.
The other percentage losers were:
- Parx at 18.8% down.
- Rivers Casino Philadelphia at nearly 6% off.
- Wind Creek Bethlehem off more than 29.3%.
- Mohegan Sun Pocono down 25.6%.
- Harrah’s Philadelphia off more than 32%.
- The Meadows Casino down more than 26%.
- Presque Isle Downs and Casino off more than 27.6%.
February PA online casino breakdown by operator
A complete breakdown of February revenue, including slots and table games by operator (online gaming license holder), can be found here:
| Casino Operator | Total Revenue | Slots Revenue | Table Games Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn National (DraftKings, Hollywood, BetMGM) | $28.0 million | $17.6 million | $10.3 million |
| Rivers Philly (SugarHouse & BetRivers) | $18.0 million | $15.1 million | $2.8 million |
| Valley Forge (FanDuel) | $15.5 million | $6.7 million | $8.9 million |
| Mt. Airy (PokerStars & Fox Bet) | $4.7 million | $3.3 million | $1.4 million |
| Parx Casino | $4.0 million | $3.5 million | $475,000 |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono (Unibet) | $2.1 million | $1.9 million | $204,000 |
| Harrah's Philly (Caesars) | $1.4 million | $1.1 million | $242,000 |
| Wind Creek Casino | $656,000 | $718,000 | ($62,000) |
| Presque Isle Downs (Twinspires) | $518,000 | $200,000 | $319,000 |
| Live! Casino Philadelphia (PlayLive!) | $397,000 | $370,000 | $27,000 |
| Totals: | $75.3 million | $50.6 million | $24.7 million |
Casino operators by the numbers
The clear front-runners in PA’s online casino race are Penn National (which includes DraftKings, Hollywood, and BetMGM), Rivers Philadelphia (which includes SugarHouse, BetRivers, and the brand new Borgata Casino), and Valley Forge, with FanDuel.
A look at top PA online casino operators in February:
- Penn: Total revenue $28 million (slots: $17.6 million; table games: $10.3 million).
- Rivers Philly: Total revenue $18 million (slots: $15.1 million; tables: $2.8 million).
- Valley Forge: Total revenue $15.5 million (slots: $16.7 million; tables: $8.9 million).
Lead image via Dreamstime.