Pennsylvania bettors jumped at their first chance to legally bet on football, pushing the state’s online and retail sportsbooks to new heights. In all, Pennsylvania sportsbooks attracted a record $109 million in bets in August, offering a first glimpse into the power of football betting, according to PlayPennsylvania.com analysts.

“Sports bettors almost universally bet on football, so it is no surprise that even with just one full week of college football games and NFL futures to bet on, that Pennsylvania would experience a significant uptick,” said Jessica Welman, sports betting analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “But with the NFL season now underway and more sportsbooks online, August’s successes are just a precursor to much bigger things ahead.”

According to official data released on Monday, the handle from online and retail sportsbooks was up 84% from the previous record of $59.3 million set in July. Combined, online and retail bets yielded $9.9 million in revenue in August, up from $5.1 million in revenue in July. August’s “win” injected $2.1 million into state and local government coffers.

The four online sportsbooks that operated in Pennsylvania in August grabbed an increasing share of the total sports betting market. Online bets increased from $39 million in July to $83.2 million in August, representing 76% of the state’s total handle, up from 65.7% in July. By comparison, about 85% of sports bets in New Jersey are made online.

“Online betting in Pennsylvania will continue to increase its share of the state’s handle to a level on par with New Jersey,” Welman said. “To that point, the early-September launch of Fox Bet — the first major sports media-branded betting site in any state — is an interesting development that should gain bettors’ attention. And other online sportsbooks are planning on launching this fall.

The growth of FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino, which enjoyed its first full month of operation in August, is another key reason why the future of online sports betting is bright. FanDuel — a brand that dominates both the retail and online markets in New Jersey — attracted $35.3 million in online bets in August, yielding $2.9 million in revenue and overtaking SugarHouse Casino as the market leader. SugarHouse generated $25 million in online bets, up from $22.2 million in July. That generated $1.7 million in revenue for SugarHouse.

SugarHouse and FanDuel were followed in the online market by:

• Rivers ($16.9 million online handle, up from $9.9 million in July; $1 million online revenue, up from $773,642)
• Parx Casino ($6 million online handle, up from $3.6 million; $620,573 revenue, up from $333,070)

SugarHouse took the retail market lead in August, accepting $5.4 million bets, up from $4.3 million in July. That yielded $816,768 in revenue. SugarHouse was followed by:

• Parx ($5 million handle, up from $3.6 million; $722,945 revenue, up from $414,730)
• Rivers ($4.9 million handle, up from $4.4 million in July; $631,012 revenue, up from $384,576)
• Valley Forge Casino ($2.5 million handle, up from $1.8 million; $175,330 revenue, up from $168,146)
• Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course ($2.1 million handle, up from $1.8 million; $309,171 revenue, up from $196,188)
• South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook ($2 million handle, up from $1.9 million; $337,680 revenue, up from $150,074)
• Harrah’s Philadelphia ($1.9 million handle, up from $1.7 million; $251,296 revenue, up from $186,574)
• Presque Isle ($1.2 million handle, up from $162,781; $282,384 revenue, up/ from $45,469)
• Oaks Race and Sportsbook ($942,856 handle, up from $789,502; $48,230 revenue, down from $110,553)

“Even if FanDuel’s ascension is all but inevitable, its first full month in the online market was impressive,” Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “To take over the market lead so quickly shows the strength of the FanDuel brand. However, competition for market supremacy should remain fierce.”

Online casinos post strong first full month

SugarHouse, Parx and Penn National casinos enjoyed their first full month of online casino games in August, and generated $3.4 million in gross revenue on $111.8 million in wagers. That is up from $812,306 in July revenue and $49.2 million in bets. The revenue injected $985,155 into state coffers.

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Sugarhouse led the way with $1.6 million in revenue on $40.9 million in bets, followed by Parx ($1.1 revenue, $53.1 million wagers), and Penn National ($684,452 revenue, $17.8 million in wagers). But as strong as August was, many more online casinos are in the works this fall, according to PlayPennsylvania.com analysts.

“It will take a few more months before we get a clear picture of Pennsylvania’s online gambling market, but the early returns are positive,” Gouker said. “This market should grow dramatically before the end of the year, working with online sportsbooks to grow exponentially in the coming months.”

For more information on the revenue generated by Pennsylvania sports betting, visit www.playpennsylvania.com/sports-betting/revenue.

About the PlayUSA.com Network:
The PlayUSA.com Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states, PlayUSA.com and its state-focused branches (including PlayNJ.com and PlayPennsylvania.com) produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.