Gaming Control Board Reports 13% Increase In Gaming Revenue In October

Record revenue in the iGaming and Sports Wagering sector fuel the increase

HARRISBURG, PA:  Figures released today by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board show dramatic increases year over year in iGaming and Sports Wagering revenue during October of this year compared to October 2019.

Total gaming and fantasy contests revenue generated in the Commonwealth during October 2020 was $320,218,237 which represents an increase of 12.87% compared to revenue generated in October 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 October 2020 by casinos along with fantasy contests and video gaming terminals operated by other vendors, and includes a comparison to total revenue generated last October:

Total tax revenue generated collectively through all forms of gaming and fantasy contests was $130,143,972.33* during October 2020.

October Revenue by Game Type

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

Slot Machine Revenue

October’s gross revenue from slot machines was $154,725,850, a 17.22% decrease in revenue when compared to the $186,921,921 generated in October 2019.

The number of slot machines in operation on October 31, 2020 was 16,611 compared to 23,786 at the casinos on October 31, 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 October of this year was $80,084,645*.

Table Games Revenue

Table games revenue for October 2020 was $63,335,846, a decrease of 13.43% over October of last year when revenue was $73,162,270.

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 October was $10,188,273*.

Internet Casino-Type Gaming Revenue

Casino games offered online generated gross revenue of $59,760,431 during October 2020, the highest single month of revenue thus far for this type of gaming. October 2019 revenue was $4,942,934

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

Tax revenue generated from internet gaming play during October was $24,894,497*.

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

Sports Wagering Revenue

Activity for sports wagering in Pennsylvania during October 2020 was significantly higher over the previous year as total handle reached $525,802,524, more than double that of October 2019 when handle was $241,186,066. It also was significantly higher than the record handle set in the previous month of September 2020 of $462,787,392.

In addition, the taxable sports wagering revenue figure for October 2020 set a record eclipsing the previous monthly revenue high of $22,841,192 in January of this year.

October 2020 sports wagering total handle and revenue is as follows:

¹ Operated 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 October was $13,239,693*.

Video Gaming Terminals

Total adjusted revenue for October for video gaming terminals (VGTs) was $2,416,180. By the close of October, four VGT Terminal Operators were operating the maximum permitted five machines at 37 truck stop establishments.

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

¹ operated VGTs in 22 establishments during October

² operated VGTs in 9 establishments during October

³ operates VGTs in 4 establishments during October

⁴ operates VGTs in 2 establishments during October

Tax revenue collected from the play of VGTs in October was $1,256,413.

Fantasy Contests

Fantasy Contests revenue was $3,203,005 in October 2020, a decrease of 2% over October of last year when revenue was $3,264,361.

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

¹No longer operating in PA

Tax revenue collected from the play of Fantasy Contests in October of this year was $480,451*.

*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 six racetrack (Category 1) and four stand-alone (Category 2) casinos in, along with the two resort (Category 3) casinos and one mini-casino (Category 4).  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 an additional Category 2 casino is currently underway along with a number of Category 4 casinos which 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.