Fueled by the first opportunity to legally bet on the NFL, Pennsylvania’s online and retail sportsbooks nearly doubled the state’s previous record handle in September.
According to the latest data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), $195 million in bets were placed in September, with 81% of the action happening online. FanDuel, under the license of Valley Forge Casino, dominated the market.
FanDuel dominates PA sports betting
For the second-straight month, FanDuel led the pack. The online sportsbook took more than $88 million in bets due in large part to their sports betting app. Fan Duel’s $5.1 million in revenue represents about a third of statewide revenue for September.
SugarHouse came in a distant second with $37 million in handle/$2.9 million in revenue. Parx Casino rounded out the top three with $21 million handle/$2.3 million in revenue.
Big monthly gains across PA sportsbooks
Sportsbooks in Pennsylvania experienced tremendous growth in September. Handle increased by 78%, and revenue shot up a whopping 144%.
All 11 of PA’s retail sportsbooks saw a month-over-month uptick in both revenue and handle. However, it was those with an online offering who experienced the biggest gains. FanDuel had the most significant leap, taking $50 million more in bets than the previous month. The site’s revenue expanded from $2.2 million in August to $5.1 million in September.
SugarHouse, Rivers and Parx all had month-over-month revenue growth above $1.6 million.
PA sports betting numbers for September 2019
Here is a full list of the September numbers for PA sports betting operators:
| Sportsbook | Total Handle | Total Revenue | Online Handle | Online Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Forge Casino | $88,546,350 | $5,113,222 | $85,128,312 | $4,736,979 |
| SugarHouse Casino | $37,718,490 | $2,900,092 | $31,189,213 | $1,842,228 |
| Parx Casino | $21,095,923 | $2,396,453 | $13,819,859 | $1,323,248 |
| Rivers Casino | $30,807,702 | $2,093,319 | $23,487,556 | $1,935,509 |
| Mount Airy | $4,901,840 | $277,194 | $4,529,421 | $231,536 |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course | $3,286,460 | $590,006 | 0 | 0 |
| South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook | $2,316,720 | $490,153 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrah’s Philadelphia | $2,189,454 | $347,873 | 0 | 0 |
| Presque Isle Downs | $2,184,693 | $2,184,693 | 0 | 0 |
| Oaks Race and Sportsbook | $1,162,267 | $146,041 | 0 | 0 |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono | $294,723 | $74,970 | ||
| Total | $194,504,622 | $14,924,872 | $158,154,361 | $9,269,519 |
PA sports betting market is still growing
Four online sportsbooks launched over the summer in Pennsylvania. Despite a slow summer start, in August, the sports betting handle reached six figures for the first time with $109 million. September marked the fourth full month of mobile betting and the addition of a fifth sportsbook, Fox Bet, which is operating under Mount Airy Casino’s license. In September, Fox Bet handled $4.9 million of bets with a $231,536 in revenue.
Expect DraftKings to join the roster of Pennsylvania online sportsbooks in early November.
Comparing PA sportsbooks to NJ sportsbooks
PA mobile sportsbooks’ handle for September was $158.1 million. The number dwarfed the retail handle of $36.3 million. Preference for online skews similar in New Jersey, where 84% of wagers occurred online.
In September 2018, the first month of legal NFL and college football betting outside of Nevada, New Jersey sports betting handle hit $184 million. In September 2019, the Garden State hit a monthly record of more than $445 million.
Said Dustin Gouker, the lead analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com:
“New Jersey had the advantage of a more established gaming infrastructure when it launched sports betting. But now that the online sports betting infrastructure is in place, Pennsylvania is beginning to show its potential.”