Monthly Gaming Revenue Exceeds $400 Million For First Time

HARRISBURG, PA:  The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board posted reports today on its website that show that the combined total revenue generated from all forms of gaming regulated by the Board along with fantasy contests during March 2021 was $403,131,336, a 162% increase compared to revenue generated in March 2020.

The Board noted that this single month amount was the first time the combined revenue exceeded $400 million. The previous high month was during October 2020 when revenue was $320.2 million. When combining the March 2021 amount to those of January and February of this year, it is also the first time that revenue topped $1 billion in a single yearly quarter.

In order to provide a fairer comparison of this month’s revenue figures, the Board also is reporting a comparison against March 2019 when COVID restrictions were not in place. In that comparison, this month’s revenue figures were 27% above that of March 2019 when the total revenue was $316,279,316.

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, https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/. 

The following chart compiles all revenue generated in March 2021 by casinos along with fantasy contests and video gaming terminals operated by other vendors and includes a comparison to total revenue generated last March.

Additionally, total tax revenue before any adjustments was $166,803,597*, the highest single month of tax revenue thus far from gaming regulated by the Board.

Revenue by Game Type

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

Slot Machine Revenue

March’s gross revenue from slot machines was $199,290,530, a 127.60% increase in revenue when compared to the $87,562,756 generated in March 2020.  Due to Covid19 restrictions in 2020 casino where closed the last half of the March.

When comparing slot revenue from March 2019 (pre-covid19 revenue) to March 2021 there was a 12% decrease with $226,597,681 in March 2019 compared $199,290,530 in March 2021.

The number of slot machines in operation in March 2021 was 19,727 compared to 24,104 at the casinos in March 2020. 

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 March 2021 was $101,724,515*.

Table Games Revenue

Table games revenue for March 2021 was $71,358,265, an increase of 115.55% from March 2020, when revenue was $33,105,591.

When comparing tables revenue from March 2019 (pre-covid19 revenue) to March 2021 there was a 14% decrease with $82,527,450 in March 2019 compared $71,358,265 in March 2021.

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 March 2021 was $11,481,327*.

 Internet Casino-Type Gaming (iGaming) Revenue

Casino games offered online generated gross revenue of $97,689,743 during March 2021 compared to $24,884,830 in March 2020. The revenue amount for iGaming in March was the highest monthly amount to date eclipsing $80,413,132 in January 2021.

A breakdown of revenue of casino games offered online in March 2021 is as follows:

Tax revenue generated from internet gaming play during March 2021 was $40,867,498*.

Total iGaming revenue for each of the casino operators during March 2021 and March 2020, if applicable, is as follows:

Sports Wagering Revenue

Taxable revenue during March 2021 for sports wagering was $29,352,345, compared to $6,889,255 in March of last year.

March 2021 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.

Sports wagering revenue for each of the casinos for March 2021 and March 2020, if applicable, is as follows:

¹Operated by Parx Casino

² Operated by Mohegan Sun Pocono

Tax revenue generated from sports wagering during March 2021 was $10,566,844*.

Video Gaming Terminals

Total adjusted revenue for March 2021 for video gaming terminals (VGTs) was $3,641,470. By the close of March 2021, four VGT Terminal Operators were operating the maximum permitted five machines at 44 truck stop establishments. The revenue amount for VGTs in March was the highest monthly amount to date eclipsing $2,516,556 in February 2021.

Truck Stop VGT adjusted revenue for each of the terminal operators during March 2021 is as follows:

¹ operated VGTs in 24 establishments during March

² operated VGTs in 10 establishments during March

³ operates VGTs in 4 establishments during March

⁴ operates VGTs in 6 establishments during March

Tax revenue collected from the play of VGTs in March 2021 was $1,893,564.

Fantasy Contests

Fantasy Contests revenue was $1,798,983 in March 2021, an increase of 148.50% over March 2020, when revenue was $723,942.

Fantasy Contests adjusted revenue for each of the operators which had revenue for March 2021 and March 2020 are displayed in the following table:

Tax revenue collected from the play of Fantasy Contests in March 2021 was $269,847*.

*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 at 14 land-based casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports wagering, and Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) at qualified truck stops, along with the regulation of online fantasy sports contests.

The land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania consists of six racetrack (Category 1) casinos, five stand-alone (Category 2) casinos, two resort (Category 3) casinos and one mini-casino (Category 4).  Casino expansion will continue over the next couple of years with the anticipated openings of up to four additional Category 4 casinos. A significant job generator in the Commonwealth, casinos and the other types of Board-regulated gaming annually generate over $1.5 billion in tax revenue.

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.