Gaming Control Board Reports Slight Rise For Total Gaming Revenue In September Over Previous Year

HARRISBURG, PA:  Figures released today by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board show total gaming and fantasy contests revenue generated in the Commonwealth during September 2020 was $284,235,444 which represents an increase of 1% compared to revenue generated in September 2019.

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.

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

Total tax revenue generated collectively through all forms of gaming and fantasy contests was $119,021,489* during September 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

September’s gross revenue from slot machines at the casinos was $157,445,561, a 16.4% decrease in revenue when compared to the $188,376,961 generated in September 2019.

The number of slot machines in operation on September 30, 2020 was 29% less than the previous year with a count of 16,360 compared to 23,154 at the casinos on September 30, 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 September of this year was $81,202,840*.

Table Games Revenue

Table games revenue for September 2020 was $59,159,165, a decrease of 16.2% over September of last year when revenue was $70,608,678.

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 September was $9,534,685*.

Internet Casino-Type Gaming Revenue

Casino games offered online generated gross revenue of $57,041,936 during September 2020, the highest single month of revenue thus far for this type of gaming. September 2019 revenue was $4,135,358.

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

Tax revenue generated from internet gaming play during September was $24,302,134*.

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

Sports Wagering Revenue

Activity for sports wagering in Pennsylvania during September 2020 was significantly higher over the previous year as total handle reached $462,787,394, more than double that of September 2019 when handle was $194,504,922.

However, the taxable sports wagering revenue figure for September 2020 was $6,269,883 or 58% lower than September 2019 taxable revenue of $14,888,872.

September sports wagering total handle and a breakout ranked by September 2020 revenue 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 September was $2,257,158*.

Video Gaming Terminals

Total adjusted revenue for September for video gaming terminals (VGTs) was $2,383,746. By the close of September 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 September is as follows:

¹ operated VGTs in 21 establishments during September

² operated VGTs in 9 establishments during September

³ operates VGTs in 4 establishments during September

⁴ operates VGTs in 2 establishments during September

Tax revenue collected from the play of VGTs in September was $1,239,548.

Fantasy Contests

Fantasy Contests revenue was $3,234,158 in September 2020, an increase of 10.4% over September of last year when revenue was $3,264,361.

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

¹No longer operating in PA

Tax revenue collected from the play of Fantasy Contests in September of this year was $485,124*.

*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 37 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.