Gaming Control Board Reports Total Gaming Revenue For August

HARRISBURG, PA:  Figures released today by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board show total gaming and fantasy contests revenue generated in the Commonwealth during August 2020 was $310,717,728 which represents an increase of almost 6% over revenue generated in August 2019 of $293,434,087.

Sources of gaming revenue regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board include slot machines, table games, internet gaming, retail and internet sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals (VGTs). The Board has posted separate reports for these types of gaming on its website, https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/.  

The following chart compiles all revenue generated in August 2020 by casinos along with fantasy contests and video gaming terminals operated by other vendors, and includes a comparison to total revenue generated last August:

Total tax revenue generated collectively through all forms of gaming and fantasy contests was $128,825,284* during August 2020.

August Revenue by Game Type

The Board is also providing a synopsis of revenue year-over-year by types of games: 

Slot Machine Revenue

August’s gross revenue from slot machines at the casinos was $166,999,047, a 19% decrease in revenue when compared to the $206,260,869 generated in August 2019.

The number of slot machines in operation on August 30, 2020 was 16,008 compared to an average of 24,451 at the casinos in August 2019. 

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 August of this year was $86,265,164*.

Table Games Revenue

Table games revenue for August 2020 was $65,119,689, a decrease of 14.5% over August of last year when revenue was $76,184,709.

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 August was $10,481,940*.

Internet Casino-Type Gaming Revenue

Casino games offered online generated gross revenue of $55,942,525 during August 2020 compared to August 2019 when revenue was only $3,428,640. The August 2020 figure eclipses the previous revenue high achieved in May of this year.

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

¹Launched iGaming on August 14, 2020

Tax revenue generated from internet gaming play during August was $24,010,433*.

Internet Gaming revenue for each of the casinos during August of this year and August of last year, if applicable, is as follows:

Sports Wagering Revenue

August 2020 total sports wagering handle was $364,985,423, or 122% higher than July 2020 total of $164,782,229. It was also the highest monthly handle to date topping January 2020’s handle of 348,381,708. 

The taxable sports wagering revenue figure for August 2020 was $18,387,277 or 126% higher than July 2020 taxable revenue of $8,147,480.

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

¹Operated by Parx Casino

² Operated by Mohegan Sun Pocono

³ A breakout of the handle between retail and online sportsbooks can be found on the website report.

Sports wagering revenue for each of the casinos for this year and for last year if applicable, is as follows:

¹Operated by Parx Casino

² Operated by Mohegan Sun Pocono

^3.Retail sportsbook no longer in operation

Tax revenue generated from sports wagering during August was $6,578,667*.

Video Gaming Terminals

Total adjusted revenue for August for video gaming terminals (VGTs) was $2,247,898. By the close of August four VGT Terminal Operators were operating five machines at each of 36 truck stop establishments.

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

¹ operated VGTs in 21 establishments during August

² operated VGTs in 9 establishments during August

³ operates VGTs in 4 establishments during August

⁴ operates VGTs in 2 establishments during August

Tax revenue collected from the play of VGTs in August was $1,168,907*.

Fantasy Contests

Fantasy Contests revenue was $2,134,494 in August 2020, a increase of 54% over August of last year when revenue was $1,388,631.

Fantasy Contests adjusted revenue for each of the operators which had revenue for August 2020 and August 2019 are displayed in the following table:

¹No longer operating in PA

Tax revenue collected from the play of Fantasy Contests in August of this year was $320,174*.

*All 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 12 sites; sports wagering offered through sportsbooks at 12 retail locations and through nine online outlets; video gaming terminals (VGTs) offered as of this date at 36 qualified truck stops; and, fantasy sports contests through six 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, along with other types of Board-regulated gaming, annually generate over $1.5 billion in tax revenue. Construction of a 13th casino is currently underway along with a number of new “mini-casinos” 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.