Pennsylvania sports betting up 28% in July, lifted by online boom
Nearly $60 million was wagered on sporting events in July. Two-thirds of the bets were placed online, not at a casino.
Pennsylvania sports betting grew by 28% in July, from $46.3 million to $59.3 million in bets placed, and for the first time online sports wagering accounted for a majority of the gambling activity, according to data released Friday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
The state’s sports-betting market, which became legal after a 2018 Supreme Court decision, is still in its early growth phase. Bets placed at brick-and-mortar casinos actually declined $6.7 million in July — not unexpected, because it is the low season for betting. But the volume of online betting doubled from $19.3 million in June to $39 million in July, more than making up for a decline in activity in the physical sports-betting parlors.
Online and retail bets generated $5.1 million in revenue for casinos, up from $3.1 million in June. State and local governments collected $1 million in taxes, which is assessed against revenue, not total bets.
The numbers are expected to increase significantly in August with the start of football season.
SugarHouse Casino in Fishtown — soon to be renamed Rivers Casino Philadelphia — took in $26.5 million in bets, including $22.2 million online, which was more than half of the entire state’s online betting handle of $39 million.
SugarHouse was followed by its affiliate Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, $14.3 million; Parx Casino in Bensalem, $7.2 million; FanDuel at Valley Forge Casino Resort, $5 million; South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook, $1.9 million; Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, $1.8 million; Harrah’s Philadelphia, $1.7 million; Oaks Race & Sportsbook, $789,502; and Presque Isle Downs & Casino (which opened July 24), $162,781.