Gambling in the USA
With The Kickoff Of Football Season, Pennsylvania’s Sportsbooks Generate $109 Million Handle
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.
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.
The Mechoopda Indian Tribe has announced that the Mechoopda Economic Gaming Authority (MEGA) Board has made the decision to suspend operations at Mechoopda Casino. The final day of operations will be Friday, January 31, 2025.
The Mechoopda Casino says this decision comes after months of deliberation and efforts to address the various challenges affecting the casino’s operations.
Dennis Ramirez, Tribal Chairman of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe, said: “Suspending operations at the Casino is a heart-wrenching decision that affects not only our Tribe but also our valued employees, customers, and the surrounding community. While this chapter is closing, our commitment to the Casino’s long-term vision remains steadfast. For over 25 years, this project has been a cornerstone of our economic development goals, and we will continue to work toward its future reopening.”
The Tribe is taking steps to support both its employees and community partners during this transition period:
Employee Support: The Tribe is committed to offering resources and guidance to assist team members through this difficult time.
Remaining Open Until January 31: The Casino will remain open through its final day of operation, giving guests the opportunity to enjoy the remaining days of service.
Bettors in Arizona wagered approximately $791 million on sports in October of 2024, according to a new report by the Arizona Department of Gaming. This represents an approximate 22% increase when compared to October of 2023.
The state collected approximately $2.35 million in privilege fees in the month.
Gambling in the USA
Neosurf & Betting Hero to reveal results of their in-depth study into US online gambling and payment habits in exclusive two-part webinar series
Neosurf, the globally trusted provider of swift and secure cash-to-digital payment solutions, has announced it will be sharing the findings of a recent study into the online betting habits, preferences and frustrations of US players in an exclusive two-part webinar series beginning on January 14th.
Neosurf commissioned the research via Betting Hero – a leading US-based iGaming portal with expertise in casino, sports betting and DFS. The webinars will see Neosurf CEO Americas, Sue Page, Betting Hero’s Co-Founder and President, Jai Maw, and Senior Director of Product and Research, Ernie Ropas, dive into the report’s key findings and discuss what some of the more surprising results could mean for operators.
The survey, which featured respondents from New Jersey, Colorado and North Carolina, aimed to help operators and regulators within the gambling industry better understand the typical US bettor – how and why they bet, what tools they use to manage their budget and what Responsible Gaming means to them. The findings will be revealed in the webinars and used to identify areas where Neosurf’s products can help operators provide a better user experience.
The research highlighted several aspects of payments and responsible gaming that bettors felt could be improved. Problems with payments remain an issue – 52% of respondents said that they’d experienced payment issues in the past year, and with over 50% depositing and withdrawing multiple times each month, there is a significant cost impact to the operators.
Additionally, respondents indicated they’d be in favour of using a service that could share pre-verified ID information with operators, with ease of use for new payment methods and seamless integration across multiple platforms identified as important factors in their choosing and remaining loyal to a single sports betting platform.
Sue Page, Neosurf CEO Americas, said: “It was important to us to gain a more detailed insight into the US sports bettor. We wanted to talk to the players and ask questions that no one else is asking, and through our collaboration with Betting Hero I’m delighted that we now have a comprehensive piece of research.
“Offering valuable insights into player habits – how and why they bet, the ongoing pain points they’re experiencing with payments and their thoughts on Responsible Gaming—we’ll be taking a deep dive into the results of the survey in our two-part webinar series starting at 10:00 ET on January 14th, and we encourage all US-focused operators and regulators to join us.”
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