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PlayPennsylvania.com: Sportsbooks, online casinos combine for more than $100 million in revenue in December

Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks and online casinos returned to their record-breaking ways in December, setting fresh highs while combining for more than $100 million in revenue. The late-year push put the state’s sports betting handle at more than $3.5 billion for 2020, a shocking total in a year when four months of major U.S. sports were canceled and retail outlets have been shuttered, according to analysts from PlayPennsylvania, which provides news and analysis of the state’s gaming industry.
“Online betting, both on sports and online casino games, have been a crucial silver lining to what was overall a rough year for Pennsylvania’s gaming industry,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “Obviously, the growth online has come unfortunately as the retail market has faced pandemic-related shutdowns. But without the increase in online revenue, there is no telling how much weaker a position the entire industry would be in right now.”
After a one-month retreat below $500 million, Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks accepted $548.6 million in wagers in December, according to official data released Tuesday. December’s bets were up 11.5% from $491.9 million in November and topped the record $525.8 million record set in October.
Taxable operator revenue hit $34.1 million, less than the record $37.4 million in November, which generated $11.6 million in state taxes and $681,191 in local share assessments.
Compared with December 2019, December’s handle was up 60.1% from $342.6 million while taxable revenue rose a whopping 199.4% from $11.4 million.
For all of 2020, Pennsylvania’s retail and online sportsbooks produced:
- $3.6 billion in wagers, up 140.3% from $1.5 billion in 2019.
- $3.3 billion in online wagering, up 208.4% from $1.1 billion in 2019.
- $189.7 million in taxable revenue, up 125.5% from $84.1 million in 2019.
- $64.5 million in state taxes.
Only New Jersey, which shattered a U.S. record with more than $6 billion in bets in 2020, and Nevada have collected more in bets this year than Pennsylvania. But Pennsylvania’s grip on third place is being challenged by Illinois, which reached $434.3 million in October, the market’s fourth full month of operation.
“Pennsylvania and Illinois make for such an interesting comparison, because their markets are so similar, including a nearly identical population,” said Valerie Cross, analyst for PlayPennsylvania. “Pennsylvania is still the more mature market, though, and is well poised to shatter just about every record it set in 2020.”
With retail sportsbooks shut down for most of the month, 97.6%, or $548.6 million, of all bets were made online in December, which was up from 91% in November. FanDuel Sportsbook/Valley Forge Casino became the first to top $200 million in online wagers in a month with $207.6 million in December, up 17.5% from $176.7 million wagered in November. Those bets produced $7.1 million in taxable revenue, down from $15.1 million in November. DraftKings/The Meadows remained in second place with $130.9 million in bets, up from $109.9 million in November. That yielded $5.4 million in taxable revenue.
Penn National continues to make its own dent in the market. The Hollywood Casino license, which includes Penn National’s Barstool-branded app and the recently launched BetMGM app, grew to $71.8 million in bets from $55.7 million. That produced a market-leading $13.9 million in taxable revenue.
The leaders were followed in December by:
- Fox Bet/Mount Airy ($28.9 million handle, up from $28.1 million; $1.9 million, up from $1.6 million)
- BetRivers/Rivers-Pittsburgh ($26.8 million handle, down from $28.1 million; $1.6 million revenue, up/down from $975,843)
- Parx Casino ($23.7 million handle, up from $19.4 million; $2 million revenue, down from $2.1 million)
- PlaySugarHouse/Rivers-Philadelphia ($21.8 million handle, up from $19.4 million; $1 million in revenue, up from $917,164)
- Unibet/Mohegan Sun Pocono ($8.9 million handle, up from $8.2 million; $86,200 revenue, up/down from $194,793)
- Caesars/Harrah’s ($1.4 million handle, up from $1.1 million; $15,700 revenue, down from $58,141)
- BetAmerica/Presque Isle Downs ($1.5 million handle, up from $957,165; -$7,840 revenue, down from $8,632)
“The successful launch of Barstool proves there is still some room for growth in the Pennsylvania market, both in terms of overall market size and in introducing new operators,” Gouker said. “To that point, the addition of another major player such as BetMGM makes Pennsylvania one of the most competitive markets in the U.S. That should bode well for the year ahead.”
Retail sportsbooks, which were closed on Dec. 12, fell to $13.4 million in bets from $45.1 million in December 2019. Sportsbooks won $1.2 million on those bets, down from $3 million in December 2019. The top retail sportsbook was Parx Casino with $4.3 million in bets.
Online casinos surge
Online casinos and poker rooms reached $70 million in monthly revenue for the first time. Online casinos and poker took in $71.6 million in gross operator revenue, shattering the record $59.8 million set in November. That amounted to $2.3 million per day over the 31 days of the month, up from $2 million per day over the 30 days of November. December’s revenue generated $19.3 million in state taxes and another $9.8 million in local share assessments and county grants.
Online casino games and poker, launched in late 2019, have been a boon to Pennsylvania, particularly after retail casinos were shuttered in March. With its 12 casinos closed for months, online casinos produced $680.2 million in revenue and $154.6 million in state taxes for the year.
“The late-2019 launch of online casinos proved to be fortuitous timing,” Cross said. “The revenue lost from casino closures could not have been foreseen and not be completely replaced, but there is no doubt the launch of online gaming helped stem the losses and steady the industry.”
Highlights from December:
- Online table games and slots alone generated $68.9 million in revenue on $2.9 billion in bets, which was up from $2.3 billion in bets in November.
- Penn National, which includes the DraftKings casino, took the market lead with $23.5 million in revenue on a market-leading $1.1 million in wagers. Rivers-Philadelphia, which includes PlaySugarHouse and BetRivers casinos, tallied $19.3 million in revenue on $668.2 million in wagers.
- Mount Airy/PokerStars, the lone poker operator in the state, generated poker revenue of $2.7 million.
For more information on the revenue generated by Pennsylvania, visit www.playpennsylvania.com/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 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.
Latest News
WinSpirit and Casino Guru Turn Responsible Gaming into a Trend

Talking about Responsible Gaming (RG) is nothing new in iGaming — but doing it in a way players actually enjoy is rare. For WinSpirit, it became a chance to do what the brand does best — think differently, engage, and prove that even the most serious topics can be turned into content players actually want to share.
Instead of burying RG in disclaimers or policy pages, WinSpirit brought together their creativity and expertise of Casino Guru to turn it into a SmartPlay Social Media campaign.
Data-Driven Creativity
Before launching the campaign, WinSpirit turned to its community with a simple question: what do you really know about Responsible Gaming? Nearly 800 players responded, and the results were telling.
- 63% knew the primary goal of RG.
- 46% felt enabling those tools was easy and knew where to find information.
- 56% highlighted WinSpirit’s own email disclaimers (launched this year) as the most effective reminders.
The findings confirmed that awareness was already strong, but also showed that some players still found RG “too complicated.”
“When we asked our community which reminders help them stay mindful, 56% highlighted the email disclaimers developed by WinSpirit Casino this year as the most effective”, – said WinSpirit analytics team manager.
This insight revealed a gap: while some forms work well for many, others may need a different touchpoint to simplify the message. Social media naturally became the next logical step to address the topic.
A Campaign Built for the Feed
The six-part series was crafted not just to inform, but to feel native to social media culture. Players swiped through “red flag or green light” checks, busted common myths with quick-hit facts, and even debated an “unpopular opinion”: games are built for entertainment, not profit. The final self-check felt less like a form and more like a challenge — engaging, fast, and easy to share.
What elevated the initiative further was the expertise behind it. WinSpirit teamed up with Šimon Vincze, Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling at Casino Guru — a rare pairing of a progressive operator and an independent authority. In an industry where these voices often stay on opposite sides, this collaboration showed the power of combining creativity with credibility.
Here is what Šimon Vincze said about the initiative: “I am glad we could support WinSpirit on this journey and help bring a successful campaign to life by combining expert insights with natural and engaging communication. Their PR team did an excellent job, as demonstrated by the statistics. Player protection is an integral part of the gambling industry’s development. Sooner or later, most players will expect a certain level of well-being and care. Those who start on this journey earlier will benefit from a competitive edge and a loyal player base.”
Impact That Lasts
Social media reach for the campaign exceeded 10,000 people.
Social Media Engagement achieved 53% and boosted monthly metrics of Social Media pages by 80%. But the main result is still on the way – in the first month alone, WinSpirit saw a 12% rise in player support queries about Responsible Gaming tools.
More importantly, Responsible Gaming shifted from being background noise to a conversation players wanted to join. Awareness turned into curiosity — and curiosity sparked deeper understanding.
“This isn’t about ticking boxes,” says the WinSpirit team. “It’s about giving players the confidence and control that keep the game fun.”
For an industry where communication often feels routine, the campaign proved that creativity doesn’t weaken the message — it amplifies it. Even compliance can capture attention when delivered in the language of players.
Latest News
Scientific Games’ Award-Winning PlayCentral Self-Service Technology Heading to NASPL 2025

PlayCentral Terminals Meet Diverse Lottery Retailer Needs as Self-Service Adoption Accelerates
Scientific Games award-winning PlayCentral lottery self-service technology will be showcased at the North American Association of State & Provincial Lotteries 2025 Conference, taking place Sept. 8-11 in Ontario, Canada. Developed with the guiding principle that “one size does not fit all,” the company’s family of PlayCentral self-service terminals offers a broad range of form factors, feature sets and configurations to fit diverse retail footprints, from large-format grocery and mass merchandisers to high-traffic convenience stores and compact independent outlets. Each PlayCentral model is designed to optimize space, maximize product visibility and enhance the self-service purchasing experience.
According to a 2024 PYMNTS Intelligence Report, 84% of U.S. consumers enjoy using self-service kiosks, and two-thirds now prefer them over staffed checkout lanes.
PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ was named a Gold Winner in the 2025 American Business Awards and a Bronze Winner in the 2025 International Business Awards in the Emerging Technology category. Several years ago, Scientific Games was named Walmart Services Division Supplier of the Year for Product, recognizing a PlayCentral model as an “exceptional or innovative product that enhanced customer savings (money and/or time, value or assortment).”
Unique in the industry, all terminals in the PlayCentral family support the full line sales of draw games, instant scratch games, Fast Play and monitor games, offering the greatest opportunity for lottery expansion to all player segments and playstyles. PlayCentral terminals have been deployed in thousands of lottery retail locations across North America, processing millions of transactions annually.
“PlayCentral self-service terminals are at the epicenter of a modern retail ecosystem. Powered by SCiQ, the technology integrates store-level analytics for streamlined inventory management, offering players a convenient, user-friendly shopping experience and readying lotteries for future payment strategies,” said Mike Cardell, Senior Vice President, Americas Systems for Scientific Games. “Our PlayCentral family is designed to adapt to any store layout, meet a host of different retailer requirements and deliver personalized game recommendations powered by AI. This is how Scientific Games helps lotteries and retailers grow their business while giving players enhanced self-service experiences.”
In addition to flexibility for a wide variety of retail environments, PlayCentral terminals integrate Scientific Games’ new GameChoice AI technology to provide personalized product recommendations to players. These data-driven insights help lotteries feature the right mix of games based on specific sales trends and player preferences, and it’s already driving higher engagement and incremental sales.
Scientific Games applied the same strategy to PlayCentral as with its highly successful line of WAVE clerk-operated countertop retail terminals. The sleek terminals allow players to purchase games, check tickets and access promotions without clerk assistance, while helping lotteries expand points of sale, showcase a complete portfolio and give retailers tools to operate more efficiently and increase sales without adding labor costs.
Scientific Games is the world’s largest lottery games provider and the fastest-growing lottery systems provider, delivering retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries.
GameChoice™, PlayCentral®, SCiQ® and WAVE™ are trademarks of Scientific Games, LLC. © 2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
“The Craig Carton Show” to Debut on SportsGrid FAST Channel, Thursday, September 4th

SportsGrid today announced the debut of The Craig Carton Show, a new daily sports talk program hosted by celebrated broadcaster Craig Carton, premiering Thursday, September 4, 2025 on the SportsGrid FAST Channel.
The show will air weekdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon ET, produced by FOX Sports and Red Seat Ventures, originating from SportsGrid’s Studio 34, in the heart of New York City.
“The Craig Carton Show” will bring Carton’s signature energy, sharp insights, and unfiltered perspective to sports fans nationwide, covering the day’s biggest storylines, debates, and personalities in sports.
“I couldn’t be more excited to launch The Craig Carton Show on SportsGrid. Studio 34 is an incredible stage in the middle of New York City, and I can’t wait to deliver a new program format that’s smart, authentic, and most importantly, fun for sports fans everywhere.” said Craig Carton.
The SportsGrid FAST Channel is distributed widely across major connected TV and free ad-supported streaming platforms, including Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, LG Channels, Sling Freestream, DIRECTV, Pluto TV, Vizio WatchFree+, and more. As one of the most consistently top-ranked independent FAST sports channels, SportsGrid continues to drive millions of monthly viewer impressions and sessions from a massive national audience base.
“SportsGrid is about delivering compelling, original live sports programming to fans wherever they watch, and bringing Craig Carton into our lineup is a perfect example of that mission. His voice, personality, and deep connection with sports audiences make him a tremendous fit for the SportsGrid FAST Channel.” Said Louis Maione, SportsGrid’s Founder and President.
Eric Pearce, Red Seat Ventures EVP, Creator Operations added: “We’ve long admired Craig’s ability to connect with fans through his passion and unique style. Partnering with SportsGrid to bring this program to life is a great opportunity to showcase Craig’s talent in a modern, dynamic format that reaches millions of fans across connected TV platforms every day.”
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