July was Earth’s hottest month on record.
For Pennsylvania’s online casinos and sportsbooks, things are just heating up. Just-released July data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) shows record-breaking numbers and player’s fervor for new online offerings.
Bettors opt for online over retail
Bettors might not agree on many things, but one thing is already clear: The majority prefer to wager online. Pennsylvania online betting accounted for $38.9 million in bets, which translated to 65.7% of all bets in the state.
The numbers display online’s scorching start in Pennsylvania. In June, online staked its claim to 41.7% of the handle.
July a record month for PA betting handle
Mother Earth and her heat waves weren’t the only one breaking records in July. A total handle of $59.3 million broke the Pennsylvania record for the most amount wagered in a month.
Even though July is a traditionally slow sports month, it shouldn’t be a shock with the boost of the second full month of PA online betting. It’s a safe bet to assume that each month, especially during football season, will continue to rewrite the Pennsylvania sports betting record books.
Sports betting numbers for July 2019
| Casino or Off-Track Betting Facility | Retail Handle | Land-Based Revenue | Online Handle | Online Revenue | Total Handle | Total Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SugarHouse Casino | $4,288,325 | $530,421 | $22,162,651 | $540,766 | $26,450,976 | $1,071,187 |
| Parx Casino | $3,550,511 | $414,730 | $3,648,995 | $242,244 | $7,199,507 | $656,974 |
| Rivers Casino | $4,416,292 | $384,576 | $9,927,161 | ($250,941) | $14,343,453 | $133,634 |
| Valley Forge Casino Resort | $1,788,266 | $168,146 | $3,259,840 | $133,730 | $5,048,106 | $301,876 |
| South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook | $1,864,245 | $151,556 | 0 | 0 | $1,864,245 | $151,556 |
| Harrah’s Philadelphia | $1,700,923 | $186,574 | 0 | 0 | $1,700,923 | $186,574 |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course | $1,772,466 | $196,188 | 0 | 0 | $1,772,466 | $196,188 |
| Oaks Race and Sportsbook | $789,502 | $110,553 | 0 | 0 | $789,502 | $110,553 |
| Presque Isle Downs | $162,781 | $45,469 | 0 | 0 | $162,781 | $45,469 |
| Statewide Total | $20,333,311 | $2,186,339 | $38,998,648 | $665,798 | $59,331,959 | $2,888,091 |
SugarHouse leads the way in PA
SugarHouse was the first to the betting app party and seemed to like the view from the top spot with $22.1 million online handle. It obliterated the competition, taking about 45% of all bets during the month of July.
SugarHouse’s sister-brand BetRivers finished a distant second with $9.9 million online handle. FanDuel, with only two weeks in the PA market, turned heads with $3.1 million online handle
Promo codes skew the numbers
SugarHouse didn’t just use the novelty of being of the first to the online sportsbook market as their only marketing tool. Perhaps the most powerful was being the first to solve that pesky iPhone accessibility issue and tap into huge market of mobile users. Also, the generous sign-up bonus set the bar for those to follow.
Sports betting revenue numbers may appear “meh.” However, it’s important to remember the huge amount of promotional credit sites are forking out to claim market share. Sister brands Rivers and SugarHouse went the heaviest with about a million dollars in promotional credit. So far, it dwarfs the amount FanDuel ($120,000) and Parx ($90,000) gave away last month.
Taking into account promotional credits, online revenue for July came in at $665,799.
Online casinos first month in PA
PGCB released its first set of online casino numbers as well, reporting $49.2 million was wagered across Parx, Hollywood Casino, and SugarHouse. The number is deceiving since the sites didn’t go live until mid-July. Check back in August for a better view of a full month. Until then, here is the first month of interactive gaming total gross revenue:
Online slots revenue: $517,712
Online table games revenue: $294,594
Online slots are taxed at a rate of 54%, yielding the state $279,564. The 16% tax rate for interactive table games fetched the state another $41,243.
SugarHouse clout spreads to online casino
Sugar is just as sweet at the online slots and table games. SugarHouse’s $261,869 online slot revenue and $160,927 in online table game revenue accounted for half of the state’s total.
Here’s how the other online casinos fared during their abbreviated availability in July.
Parx:
Slots: $139,903
Table games: $120,221
Hollywood:
Slots: $115,940
Table games: $13,446
Expect the numbers to continue to grow
It’s about to get a lot hotter and crowded in the online casino and sportsbook space in Pennsylvania.
- Preseason football and NFL futures bets are live.
- College football begins on Aug. 23.
- The regular season kicks off on Sept. 5.
- All four apps are finally iPhone accessible.
- There are a few others who are launching soon as hinted by the PGCB.