Pennsylvania’s gambling revenues soared to an impressive $483.0 million in October, marking a significant 7.3% increase compared to the $450.2 million generated in October of the previous year, and a marginal rise of 1.4% from September’s $576.3 million. This financial uptick can be attributed to a robust performance across various gaming sectors, with retail slots making up nearly 40% of the total revenue at $192.5 million, despite a 3.3% decline from the year prior. Meanwhile, land-based table games witnessed a slight revenue bump of 2.0% year-over-year, totaling $81.5 million.
However, the most headline-worthy achievement fell to Pennsylvania’s sports betting handle, which outstripped the former monthly high of $797.1 million by 4.0%, setting a new all-time record. This achievement propelled sports betting revenue to a remarkable 18.8% increase year-on-year, reaching $48.2 million. Breaking down this total reveals that $43.1 million originated from online bets while the remaining $5.1 million emerged from retail betting ventures.
Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, in collaboration with Barstool, maneuvered back to the top of the market with $18.9 million culled from $258.3 million in bets. Conversely, Valley Forge paired with FanDuel, which previously led the sector in September, trailed slightly with a revenue of $18.2 million. Notably, this was in spite of handling a greater volume of bets amounting to $328.4 million. Ranking third in the market, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh along with BetRivers generated $2.3 million from a total of $33.5 million in wagers.
The online gambling sphere, encompassing slots, table games, and poker, also experienced growth, accumulating $154.8 million in revenue. This represented a substantial 24.3% leap from the $124.5 million reported in the same month last year but fell slightly short of surpassing the $159.5 million record set in the previous month of September. The uplift in this domain was largely driven by a remarkable 27.2% surge in online slots revenue, which tallied up to $109.8 million. Internet table games boasted a 19.4% elevation in revenue at $42.6 million, although online poker revenue reflected a 5.8% decline, totaling just $2.3 million.
Continuing its lead in the state’s online gambling market, Hollywood Casino at Penn National reported a substantial $62.2 million in total online gambling revenue for October. This sum included a substantial $41.9 million generated from slots, $20.0 million from table games, and a modest $319,163 from online poker. Trailing behind were the Valley Forge Casino Resort with $35.4 million in iGaming revenue and the Rivers Casino Philadelphia at $29.3 million.
In related news, video gaming terminal revenue presented a 4.0% drop to $3.4 million. Similarly, fantasy sports contests suffered a slight decline as well, with revenue dipping by 4.3% to $2.7 million for the month of October.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) recently imposed fines on key industry players for various infractions. Topping the list was the Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association—operator of the state-leading Hollywood Casino at Penn National—penalized $40,000 for three separate incidents of underage gambling on their premises. Additionally, slot machine manufacturer Lightning Gaming incurred a $5,000 fine due to a lapse in reporting material changes to their financial status to the PGCB.
The month also saw four adults added to Pennsylvania’s Involuntary Exclusion List, following irresponsible behavior that involved leaving minors unattended while they gambled. The consequences of these negligent actions ranged from state police intervention to rescue a child from a locked vehicle to attempts by a patron to flee in a vehicle containing illicit substances after leaving a one-year-old alone. Instances of minors left in parked vehicles while guardians gambled drew serious attention, prompting swift response and subsequent addition to the exclusion list, underscoring the state’s firm stance on responsible gambling practices.
