Pennsylvania is back to setting online gaming records.
According to numbers released Monday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), the state has set an all-time high for single monthly revenue with $462.7 million, a 14.7% increase over March 2021’s total of $403.1 million.
Online casinos also reported $142.7 million in gross revenue for the month. That’s both a state and national record for a single month. And PA sports betting has now surpassed $1 billion in lifetime revenue, only the third state in history to do so, behind Nevada and New Jersey.
PA Online casinos and retail table games help set new monthly record
Total March gaming revenue ($462,740,098) represents a 6% increase over the previous record set in November 2021 ($432.5 million). While this figure includes all forms of gaming (including daily fantasy contests and VGTs), two sectors in retail table games and PA online casinos also set records of their own that surely helped the state’s overall numbers.
Total PA casino revenue for retail table games was $94.3 million, the first time above $90 million in Pennsylvania gaming history. It was also a 32% increase over February’s $71.3 million and generated $15.2 million in total tax revenue.
Meanwhile, PA set a new US record for monthly iGaming revenue, just edging out New Jersey. Both PA and NJ reported over $140 million in March internet gaming revenue, the first two states to do so.
PA’s $142.7 million GGR was a 27.9% year-over-year jump over March 2021 ($111.6 million) and up 15.4% month-over-month ($123.7 million in February). After $24.6 million in promo spend, PA online casinos and poker sites reported adjusted revenue (AGR) of $118.1 million, good for $49 million in tax revenue for the state and local entities.
Slots are still casinos’ bread and butter
Though retail table games and online casinos certainly played a role in Pennsylvania’s successful March, slots still account for the vast majority of action.
In fact, slot machine revenue totaled $214.7 million statewide. Additionally, internet slots had another $79.2 million AGR or around two-thirds of the $118 million AGR reported from online gaming revenue. Adding those numbers together, slots account for about 63.5% of all reported revenue in March.
PA gaming revenue highlights for March 2022
- Pennsylvania overall gaming revenue (taxable): $462.7 million ($375.6 million in Feb.)
- Online PA casino revenue (GGR): $142.7 million ($123.7 million in Feb.)
- Online casino tax revenue: $49 million ($42.2 million in Feb.)
- Sports betting handle: $715 million ($597 million in Feb.)
- Sports betting revenue: $48.5 million ($22.1 million in Feb.)
- Sports betting tax revenue: $10.9 million (-$159K in Feb.)
Total PA gaming revenue reverses recent trend
Prior to March, Pennsylvania’s overall gaming revenue had declined month-over-month since December 2021. However, that also followed record-setting months in October and November.
- March 2022: $462.7 million
- February 2022: $375.6 million
- January 2022: $393.1 million
- December 2021: $406.3 million
- November 2021: $432.5 million
- October 2021: $425.9 million
The return of mask mandates to Live! Casino and Rivers Casino Philadelphia on April 18 could put a damper on retail gaming revenue for the current month. Both casinos, however, still offer online casino options.
Live! Philadelphia partners with Betway and PlayLive, while BetRivers, PlaySugarHouse and Borgata online casinos are all under the Rivers Philadelphia license.
Sportsbooks reach $1 billion in lifetime revenue
Pennsylvania has consistently been a top-five sports betting market since launching online sportsbooks in June 2019. In March, it become just the third state in the nation to reach $1 billion in lifetime revenue alongside Nevada and New Jersey.
Sportsbooks accepted nearly $715 million in wagers in March, the largest handle of any non-football month in state history and a 27% increase over March 2021’s $560 million. Of that $715 million, around 6.8% ($48.5 million) made its way to the sportsbooks in the form of revenue while another $10.9 million went to state and local taxes.
PA online casino leaders in March 2022
Unsurprisingly, Penn National retained its position at the top of Pennsylvania’s iGaming market with its four online casino brands. Following behind are Rivers Casino and Valley Forge, well ahead of the rest of the market. See full March 2022 iGaming figures below:
| Licensee | Online Brand(s) | Total Revenue | Slots Revenue | Table Games Revenue | Poker Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Penn National | Hollywood | DraftKings | BetMGM | Barstool | $55,228,544 | $38,663,310 | $16,280,195 | $285,039 |
| Rivers Philadelphia | SugarHouse | BetRivers | Borgata | $37,026,411 | $32,365,820 | $4,564,403 | $96,188 |
| Valley Forge | FanDuel | Stardust | $25,054,991 | $13,260,315 | $11,794,676 | $0 |
| Mount Airy | PokerStars | $6,891,806 | $3,897,335 | $1,054,459 | $1,940,011 |
| Parx | Parx | $5,505,479 | $5,058,902 | $446,577 | $0 |
| Live Philadelphia | PlayLive | Betway | $4,109,547 | $3,772,382 | $337,165 | $0 |
| Harrah's Philadelphia | Caesars | $3,534,923 | $2,164,537 | $451,427 | $918,959 |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono | Unibet | $2,555,264 | $2,146,170 | $409,094 | $0 |
| Wind Creek | Wind Creek | $1,996,940 | $1,821,644 | $175,296 | $0 |
| Presque Isle | TwinSpires | $844,885 | $676,476 | $168,409 | $0 |
| Total | $142,748,789 | $103,826,891 | $35,681,701 | $3,240,197 |
For full March revenue figures, see the PlayPennsylvania revenue press release.