Pennsylvania sports betting grew by double digits year-over-year and set a new state handle record in October.
Key Takeaways
- Pennsylvanians wagered over $968 million during a heavy volume month.
- Gross revenue greatly improved from the previous October, behind a higher win rate.
- iGaming revenue also reached a state high in October.
The Steelers, Eagles, Phillies, 76ers, and Flyers all competed in Pennsylvania during one of the biggest sports months of the year, but this October was especially high volume.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) recently reported that $968.5 million was wagered at online and retail sportsbooks for the month, up from the $858.1 million in October 2024.
The heavy handle was significantly higher than the previous record of $935.5 million from November 2024.
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Improvement for books
A much more operator-friendly October led to a 9.5% hold, generating $91.8 million in gross revenue, a 58% year-over-year spike. Last October, sportsbooks struggled nationwide against bettors. In Pennsylvania, the win rate rose nearly three points compared to a year ago.
Online sports betting in Pennsylvania generated $926.1 million in wagers and all but $4.5 million of the gross revenue, while retail sportsbooks were responsible for $44.2 million of the record handle.
Sportsbooks claimed adjusted gross revenue of $60.7 million after $31.1 million in promotional credits. The state’s 34% tax rate led to an operator payout of $20.6 million, while another $1.2 million from a 2% local rate pushed the total tax revenue over $21 million for the month and surpassed $60 million for the first four months of the fiscal year.
DraftKings sets new mark
| Online Operator | October Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $355.1 million | $33.5 million |
| DraftKings | $297.7 million | $27.2 million |
| Fanatics | $65.4 million | $5.7 million |
| BetMGM | $58 million | $6.8 million |
| bet365 | $41 million | $4.4 million |
FanDuel led all operators with a $355.1-million handle, and a 9.4% hold produced $33.5 million in gross revenue. The online operator shelled out $15.4 million in promotional credits, leaving FanDuel with $18.1 million in taxable revenue.
Despite cutting its promo spending in half, DraftKings still set its all-time high handle at $297.7 million, and the operator won back $27.2 million in gross revenue. It’s adjusted gross revenue surged from just $3.9 million during a heavy-spending September to $21.7 million in October.
Fanatics Sportsbook generated the third-most dollars bet with $65.4 million, a 66% year-over-year handle increase, and an 8.7% hold. BetMGM’s 11.7% win rate on gross revenue was the highest of any operator in the Keystone State in October, and it helped produce $6.8 million from a $58-million handle.
It was also a good month for bet365, which won back 10.8% on a $41-million handle that ranked fifth in the state. BetRivers generated $34.8 million in wagers for the month, while Caesars’ handle surpassed $25 million.
iGaming sets record
The PGCB reported a new iGaming adjusted revenue record in October at $251.1 million, beating out the previous high of $238.2 million set in March. Profits were up 32.8% compared to October 2024, and gross revenue surpassed $300 million.
The Keystone State’s operators paid $73.3 million in iGaming taxes to the state, the highest ever. Tax revenue from online casinos eclipsed $660 million in 2025.
Pennsylvania’s total gaming revenue, including sports betting, iGaming, land-based casinos, and fantasy contests, reached $597 million in October, a 22.8% year-over-year increase.
