State-wide gambling revenue in Pennsylvania amounted to $3.29bn in the 2018-19 financial year as the introduction of legal sports betting and higher income from slots gaming boosted the state .
A total of 12 casinos were active in Pennsylvania during the 12-month period, with some rolling out sports betting services upon the launch of the state’s legal wagering market in November 2018.
Slots were the main source of income for casinos in the state by some margin, with gambling revenue for the machines amounting to $2.38bn, a 1.3% increase on $2.35bn in the previous financial year according to official figures released by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).
Revenue from table games totalled $885.6m, down 11.1% from $895.3m in the 2017-18 financial year, but the state was boosted by the launch of legal sports betting as this offset the decline in table game revenue.
Sports betting revenue amounted to $21.7m in 2018-19, although this figure is set to increase significantly as the market continues to grow following the rollout of online betting in the summer. In August, sports wagering revenue alone was $9.9m, just under half the total for 2018-19.
Parx Casino ranked as the top performing of the state’s 12 casinos after posting revenue of $614.1m for the 2018-19 financial year. Slots revenue amounted to $416.9m and sports betting revenue $6.6m – both of which were the best in the state – while table games revenue hit $190.5m.
The Wild Creek Bethlehem Casino took the most in table games revenue, posting a total of $228.0m for the year.
In terms of fantasy sports contests, DraftKings claimed top spot by generating $12.0m in revenue during the 12 months. FanDuel followed in second with fantasy sports revenue of $10.9m for the year.
The PGCB also provided an update on self-exclusion numbers in the state, with 14,419 people having opted into the scheme by June 30, 2019. A total of 735 people self-excluded from gambling in the first six months of the current year, following on from 1,389 in the whole of 2018.
Image: S.MacMillen
