Record Month For Pennsylvania's Internet-type Casino Gaming

HARRISBURG, PA:  Figures released today by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board show a new monthly record for revenue generated by iGaming.

Additionally, the sports wagering handle in December 2020 was the highest to date eclipsing the amount wagered in October of 2020.

These highs came during a month in which retail operations at casinos and video gaming terminal (VGT) establishments went dark on December 12^th and remained closed through the end of the month due to statewide COVID-19 restrictions.

Board reports show that the combined total revenue generated from all forms of gaming along with fantasy contests during December 2020 was $168,739,237 which represents a decrease of 42.19% compared to revenue generated in December 2019.

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

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

Total tax revenue generated collectively through all forms of gaming and fantasy contests was $67,331,655* during December 2020.

December Revenue by Game Type

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

Slot Machine Revenue

December’s gross revenue from slot machines was $42,197,822, a 77.49% decrease in revenue when compared to the $187,473,942 generated in December 2019.

The number of slot machines in operation on December 11, 2020 was 16,957 compared to 24,116 at the casinos on December 30, 2019. 

Slot machine revenue for each of the casinos, with the percentage change reflected over the previous year, is as follows. These figures represent only 12 days of operation in December due to statewide COVID-19 restrictions except for Rivers Casino Philadelphia which was closed for the entirety of December 2020.

¹ Closed due to Covid-19 restrictions implemented by the City of Philadelphia on November 20^th

Tax revenue from the play of slots machines in December of 2020 was $22,435,942*.

Table Games Revenue

Table games revenue for December 2020 was $17,057,943, a decrease of 78.16% from December 2019, when revenue was $78,094,839.

Table games revenue for each of the casinos, with the percentage change reflected over the previous year, is as follows. These figures represent only 12 days of operation in December due to statewide COVID-19 restrictions except for Rivers Casino Philadelphia which was closed for the entirety of December 2020.

¹ Closed due to Covid-19 restrictions implemented by the City of Philadelphia on November 20^th

Total tax revenue from table games play during December 2020 was $2,742,404 *.

Internet Casino-Type Gaming (iGaming) Revenue

Casino games offered online generated gross revenue of $71,609,260 during December 2020 compared to $10,624,699 in December 2019. The amount in December also easily eclipsed the previous high revenue month for Internet Casino-Type gaming was in October 2020 of $59,760,431.

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

Tax revenue generated from internet gaming play during December 2020 was $29,022,596*.

Total iGaming revenue for each of the casinos during December 2020 and December 2019, if applicable, is as follows:

Sports Wagering Revenue

December 2020 total sports wagering handle was $548,590,065 or 11.52% above the November 2020 total of $491,910,713. It was also the highest monthly handle to date eclipsing the amount of $525,802,524 wagered in October 2020. At the same time, the taxable revenue figure for December 2020 was $34,059,539 or 8.81% below than November taxable revenue of $37,350,246 which remains the highest for any month to date.

December 2020 sports wagering total handle and 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.

⁴ Retail sports wagering closed for entirety of Decemberdue to Covid-19 restrictions implemented by the City of Philadelphia

Sports wagering revenue for each of the casinos for 2020 and 2019, if applicable, is as follows:

¹Operated by Parx Casino

² Operated by Mohegan Sun Pocono

³ Retail sportsbook no longer in operation

⁴ Retail sports wagering closed for entirety of Decemberdue to Covid-19 restrictions implemented by the City of Philadelphia

Tax revenue generated from sports wagering during December 2020 was $12,261,434*.

Video Gaming Terminals

Total adjusted revenue for December for video gaming terminals (VGTs) was $802,918. By the close of December 2020, four VGT Terminal Operators were operating the maximum permitted five machines at 40 truck stop establishments. These figures represent only 12 days of operation in December 2020 due to statewide COVID-19 restrictions.

Truck Stop VGT adjusted revenue for each of the terminal operators during December 2020 is as follows:

¹ operated VGTs in 23 establishments during December

² operated VGTs in 10 establishments during December

³ operates VGTs in 4 establishments during December

⁴ operates VGTs in 3 establishments during December

Tax revenue collected from the play of VGTs in December 2020 was $417,518.

Fantasy Contests

Fantasy Contests revenue was $3,011,755 in December 2020, a decrease of 12.34% over December 2019, when revenue was $3,435,621.

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

¹No longer operating in PA

Tax revenue collected from the play of Fantasy Contests in December 2020 was $451,762*.

*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 13 land-based casinos, the expansion includes online casino games available to date on 12 sites; sports wagering offered through sportsbooks at 14 retail locations and through 12 online outlets; video gaming terminals (VGTs) offered as of this date at 41 qualified truck stops; and, fantasy sports contests through eight providers.

The 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. An additional Category 2 casino, Live! Casino Philadelphia, plans to open this month, while a number of Category 4 casinos 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.