Press Releases
PlayPennsylvania.com: Sportsbooks make first betting volume gains since March
The return of football helped Pennsylvania sportsbooks post their first month-over-month increase in betting volume since March with nearly $350 million in wagers in August. The gain sets the stage for what could be a record-shattering fall for the state’s sportsbooks as online casinos and poker rooms continue their own torrid pace, according to PlayPennsylvania, which tracks regulated online gaming and sports betting in the state.
“August’s sports schedule is still relatively light compared with the fall, so it is welcome to see betting volume move off the low we saw in July,” said Valerie Cross, analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “The next four months is the most important stretch of the year for sportsbooks, though, and every sign points toward a stretch of widespread growth.”
Pennsylvania’s online and retail sportsbooks accepted $348.5 million in wagers in August, down 4.5% from $365.0 million in August 2020 but up 14.5% from $304.4 million in July, according to official data released Monday. August marked the first month since March, when sportsbooks took in $560.3 million in wagers, that the combined handle topped the previous month’s handle.
Gross gaming revenue fell 8.3% to $25.3 million from $27.6 million in August 2020 and fell 7.9% from $27.5 million in July. August produced $18.0 million in taxable revenue, generating $6.1 million in state taxes and $360,145 in local share assessments.
The gains in August were likely in part a product of increasing interest in baseball, especially as the Philadelphia Phillies remained in postseason contention. But a handful of college and NFL preseason games, in addition to futures betting on football, undoubtedly helped boost bettors’ interest.
“An inglorious exit from the NBA playoffs, the struggles of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the inconsistency of the Phillies, conspired to make this a relatively slow summer for Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks,” said Dustin Gouker, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayPennsylvania.com. “It took just a handful of games in August to show how important football is to the sports-betting industry.”
Bettors made $318.1 million in wagers at the state’s online sportsbooks, representing 91.3% of the state’s total handle. FanDuel led all online operators with $135.7 million in wagering, up 27.1% from $106.7 million in July. FanDuel’s online revenue fell 54% to $5.7 million in August from $12.3 million in July, yielding $3.0 million in taxable revenue.
DraftKings was second in the state with $80.4 million in wagers, up 21.4% from $66.2 million in July. That yielded $8.0 million in gross revenue and $6.6 million in taxable revenue. BetMGM was third in the state with $29.0 million in wagers and $2.5 million in gross revenue.
Penn National’s Barstool-branded app attracted $26.3 million in wagers creating $2.1 million in gross revenue and $1.6 million in taxable revenue.
The online leaders were followed by:
- BetRivers ($13.2 million handle, down from $14.5 million; $882,274 GGR, down from $1.3 million)
- SugarHouse ($10.3 million handle, up from $9 million; $692,350 in GGR, up from $680,099)
- Fox Bet ($8.6 million handle, down from $10 million; $746,103 in GGR, up from $709,376)
- Parx Casino ($6.4 million handle, down from $7.9 million; $713,282 GGR, down from $745,087)
- Unibet ($4.2 million handle, down from $4.5 million; $307,601 GGR, down from $316,936)
- TwinSpires ($2.3 million handle, up from $2.1 million; $147,448 GGR, down from $179,276)
- Caesars ($1.2 million handle, up from $947,532; $73,785 GGR, up from -$126,967)
- Betway ($617,954 handle; up from $563,481; $18,818 GGR, up from -$32,239)
- Wind Creek ($521,601 handle, up/down from $406,259; $78,195 GGR, up from $6,284)
Meanwhile, retail sportsbooks accepted $30.4 million in wagers in August, up from $29.0 million in July. Those wagers created $3.3 million in gross gaming revenue, up 22.8% from $2.7 million in July. Rivers Philadelphia topped the retail market with $5.1 million in bets, ahead of Rivers Pittsburgh’s $4.4 million handle.
“Revenue generation is important this time of year, too, but football is often a springboard for operators to build relationships with new customers,” Gouker said. “This is why operators are aggressive with their football-related promotional offerings and advertising campaigns, particularly around the opening weeks of the season. It’s also a time when giants such as FanDuel and DraftKings really can exploit their resource advantage over smaller operators.”
Online casinos and poker
Online casinos and poker rooms posted their sixth consecutive month with gross gaming revenue over $100 million with $103.2 million in August. That was up 54.8% from $66.7 million in August 2020, though down 1.2% from $104.5 million in July.
Gross revenue was whittled to $88.7 million in taxable revenue, which was even with July. August’s win yielded $39.4 million in state and local taxes. Wagering at online casino games remained brisk, hitting $3.2 billion in August, which was also even with July.
“While sportsbooks ebb and flow with the seasons, the growth at online casinos has been consistent and relentless,” Cross said. “As the weather cools, that growth should continue. There are no signs yet that point to any kind of slowdown on the immediate horizon.”
Other highlights from August:
- Online casino and poker rooms generated $3.3 million in gross gaming revenue per day over the 31 days of August, down from $3.4 million per day in July.
- Penn National, which includes the DraftKings, BetMGM, Barstool, and Hollywood casinos, led the market once again with $35.1 million in gross revenue. Rivers Philadelphia, which includes SugarHouse, Borgata, and BetRivers casinos, was second with $30.8 million.
- On the strength of the first full month of the World Series of Poker, poker generated $3.2 million in revenue, up from $2.7 million in August 2020. Mount Airy/PokerStars topped operators with $1.9 million in revenue.
For more information, visit www.playpennsylvania.com/news.
Breaking New Ground in Brazil: Blitzcrown’s Crash Games Now GLI Certified
Blitzcrown, MVG’s pioneering games studio, has secured Brazilian Certification as well as GLI-19 Certification from GLI(Gaming Laboratories International) for its industry-changing three Crash titles. This landmark achievement marks a significant milestone in the company’s expansion into Brazil’s thriving online gaming market, positioning Blitzcrown at the forefront of the region’s rapidly evolving iGaming landscape.
The license comes at an important time for Brazil’s gaming sector, following the launch of the new licensing regime that started on January 1, 2025. The regulatory framework, signed into law in December 2023, has transformed the industry’s prospects.
The certification encompasses 3 innovative crash games: Crash, Fast Crash, and Twin Crash. This strategic milestone establishes Blitzcrown as the premier provider of certified Crash games in the Brazilian market, demonstrating the company’s unwavering commitment to regulatory excellence and gaming integrity. With the GLI-19 and Brazil certification process successfully concluded in March, Blitzcrown has solidified its position as an industry pioneer in this dynamic and emerging market.
Crash games are a recent addition to the global iGaming market, featuring the dynamic evolution of real-time multipliers and immediate reward structures. Blitzcrown has stood out by establishing groundbreaking game mechanisms that offer different and exciting gameplay experiences. Standard Crash provides players with a standard multiplier-based gaming experience, and Fast Crash is optimized for users seeking quick, intense multiplier experiences. The Twin Crash is an original format allowing players to place simultaneous bets on two separate multipliers.
Building on this momentum, Blitzcrown has announced plans to expand its certified portfolio with two additional versions of its innovative Plinko games, demonstrating the company’s strategic commitment to market expansion. This forward-looking initiative underscores Blitzcrown’s dedication to continuous innovation and sustainable growth in the regulated gaming markets.
Blitzcrown is MVG’s edge-game studio focused on pushing game ideas beyond their norms through innovative and non-traditional gaming experiences. The studio has been particularly recognized for its groundbreaking approaches in various game categories, including its successful Crash and Plinko series.
George Cho from MVG said: “This GLI certification testifies to Blitzcrown’s unwavering commitment to offering top-quality, fair gaming systems. We are well placed to take advantage of Brazil’s exciting new regulatory environment and the vast growth potential of the online gaming industry.”
Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, is set for its latest appearance at BiS SiGMA Americas in São Paulo, Brazil, from April 7-10, 2025. The company will be based at Stand M30, where it will not only showcase its LatAm innovations but also celebrate its 32nd birthday.
This major milestone brings an extra layer of excitement to Belatra’s time in Brazil. iGaming professionals visiting the stand will enjoy an immersive experience inspired by the studio’s popular classics Make it Gold and Mummyland Treasures. Belatra’s stand includes a smoky bar for a mysterious touch, a prize-filled game for visitors, and a live Mummy roaming the event floor to bring the experience to life.
Belatra’s extensive portfolio of award-winning titles brings together timeless hits with powerful, innovative themes, providing unforgettable entertainment for players.
With a strong foothold in LatAm, Belatra’s regional team, based in Buenos Aires, and Belatra’s global team will be in São Paulo to explore new collaborations and showcase its localised approach to the market.
Andrés Troelsen, Belatra Games’ Commercial Director for Latin America, said: “Our Latin American presence grows ever stronger with the region forming a major part of our growth strategy. We’re happy to be back in São Paulo for BiS SiGMA Americas to connect with partners and explore new opportunities. This year is extra special as we celebrate our 32nd birthday, so come raise a glass with us at our smoky bar!”
New certification for emerging-markets leader arrives ahead of key industry summit in Sao Paulo and awards recognition
QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has had its platform and games successfully approved for the Peruvian market, demonstrating that its premier B2B platform and all-encompassing content conforms to the latest legislative updates to enhance and regulate Peru’s local gaming environment.
Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism (MINCETUR) has now issued an online gaming licence to QTech Games, whereby all its platform products and games are now deemed legally permitted. This includes its new software service for retail, QTech Hybrid, which allows land-based partners to scale their operations online. QTech Hybrid simplifies transactions by enabling deposits, withdrawals and gameplay while allowing access to players both in-shop and on personal devices.
This breakthrough hybrid solution has quickly won clients and awards in the comparably fragmented African market (most recently in March for Best Innovation at AGE Lagos), and now promises to do likewise across LatAm, where QTech Games has already signed several major clients for both its aggregation platform and its QTech Hybrid solution. This activity has seen it again nominated for Best Aggregator at the SiGMA Americas Awards, which kickstart the SiGMA Americas summit (7-10 April) next week, as the igaming world converges on Sao Paulo for a must-attend conference in another of QTech Games’ “focus markets” for 2025.
Philip Doftvik, QTech Games’ CEO, said: “It’s fantastic to have certified our aggregation platform in Peru via MINCETUR – and I’m pleased to say we have more such approvals pending across the continent. We attended fantastic events in Rio and, more recently, SAGSE 2025 in Buenos Aires – and anticipate more of the same at SiGMA Americas in Sao Paulo next week, where we’re also thrilled to have been shortlisted for Best Aggregator at their LatAm Awards. Given the venue, Brazil will be dominating the discussion for many at SiGMA Sao Paulo. However, we’ll also be looking beyond Brazilian borders this year, and are already active in Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay. We know our QTech Hybrid solution will work very well wherever we put a pin on the LatAm map.”
QTech Games delegates will be present at five more LatAm summits in 2025, with SiGMA Americas (7 April) the next port of call – followed by GAT Expo Cartagena (28 April), SBC Americas (13 May), Peru Gaming Show (18 June) and GAT Expo Mexico (28 Aug).
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