Gaming Control Board Reports Total Revenue Up 4.5% In Calendar Year 2019

Statewide revenue for gaming and fantasy contests totaled over $3.4 billion in 2019

HARRISBURG, PA:  Figures released today by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board shows total gaming and fantasy contests revenue generated in the Commonwealth during calendar year 2019 was 4.5% above revenue generated in calendar year 2018.

Sources of gaming revenue regulated by the Board include slot machines, table games, internet gaming, retail and internet sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals. The Board has posted separate reports for these types of gaming on its website.

The following chart compiles all revenue generated in calendar year 2019 by casinos along with fantasy contests and video gaming terminals operated by other vendors, and includes a comparison to total revenue generated in calendar year 2018:

Total tax revenue generated collectively through all forms of gaming and fantasy contests was $1,415,879,539* during 2019 compared to $1,380,456,782 in 2018.

Slot Machine Revenue

Calendar year 2019 gross revenue from slot machines at the 12 casinos was $2,363,085,678, a decrease of less than one-half of one percent in revenue when compared to the $2,369,885,203 generated in calendar year 2018.

Gross slot machine revenue for each of the casinos, with the percentage change reflected over the previous year, is as follows: 

Tax revenue from the play of slots machines in 2019 was $1,221,942,623*.

Table Games Revenue

Table games revenue reached an all-time high during calendar year 2019 totaling 903,594,181.  It was the first year in which table games revenue topped $900 million and was an increase of 2.8% over calendar year 2018 when revenue was $878,796,174.

Gross table games revenue for each of the casinos, with the percentage change reflected over the previous year, is as follows:

Total tax revenue from table games play during calendar year 2019 was $145,238,459*.

Internet Casino-Type Gaming Revenue

Casino games offered online generated gross revenue of $33,599,749 and tax revenue of $13,325,610* during calendar year 2019. Internet casino-type games were first launched in July 2019.

A breakdown of revenue of casino games offered online is as follows:

Sports Wagering Revenue

Calendar year 2019 represented the first full year of sports wagering in the Commonwealth. The handle from both retail and online outlets totaled $1,490,167,110 and resulted in revenue of $84,112,967.  Taxes derived from sports wagering in 2019 was $30,280,668.

2019 sports wagering total handle and a breakout of revenue by casino is as follows:

¹Operated by Parx Casino

² A breakout of the handle between retail and online sportsbooks can be found on the website report.

Video Gaming Terminals

The first video gaming terminal (VGTs) at a Commonwealth truck stop was launched in August of this year. At the close of the year there were 20 establishments offering VGT gaming and operating a total of 100 machines. In 2019, revenue from VGT gaming was $2,329,540 producing tax revenue of $1,211,361*.

Truck Stop VGT adjusted revenue for each of the terminal operators during 2019 is as follows:

¹ operated VGTs in 15 establishments at close of 2019

² operated VGTs in 5 establishments at close of 2019

Fantasy Contests

Fantasy Contests revenue for calendar year 2019 was $25,872,124, an increase of 70% over calendar year 2018 when revenue was $15,309,615.

Fantasy Contests adjusted revenue for each of the operators for 2019 and 2018 are displayed in the following table:

Tax revenue collected from the play of Fantasy Contests in calendar year 2019 was $3,880,818*.

*Tax revenue figures reflect amount generated prior to any adjustments by the PA Department of Revenue

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of gambling legalized under 2004’s Race Horse Development and Gaming Act and the Gaming Expansion Act of 2017. In addition to slot machine and table games gambling at land-based casinos, the expansion includes online casino games available to date on five sites; sports wagering offered through sportsbooks at 12 locations and through eight online outlets; video gaming terminals (VGTs) offered as of this date at 21 qualified truck stops; and, fantasy sports contests through eight providers.

The mature land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania currently consists of 10 stand-alone and racetrack casinos in operation, along with the two smaller resort casinos.  These facilities collectively employ over 16,000 people and annually generate over $1.4 billion in tax revenue from slot machine and table games play. Construction of a 13^th casino is currently underway along with a number of new “mini-casinos” that are expected to begin operation over the next couple of years.

Additional information about both the PGCB’s gaming regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania’s gaming industry can be found at https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov  . You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.