Pennsylvania’s sports betting handle was down year over year for the second consecutive month in May.
Key Takeaways
- Pennsylvania’s handle failed to reach $600 million for the second time in the last nine months.
- Gross revenue still surpassed $67 million, aided by an 11.3% hold.
- Total gaming revenue set a record in May.
Following April’s nearly 10% year-over-year decline, online and retail sportsbooks combined for a handle of $595.5 million in May, down 9.1% from a year earlier, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported.
Despite a May that featured the NBA and NHL playoffs, as well as MLB, it was just the second time over the last nine months that Pennsylvania sports betting failed to produce $600 million in wagers.
By comparison, May handle increased by nearly $100 million year over year in 2024, while May 2025 wagering rose almost 11% from the previous year.
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Revenue drops despite strong hold
The Keystone State’s operators still won back an impressive 11.3%, even though that was down from the previous May’s 11.6% win rate. Gross revenue reached $67.6 million, an 11.2% decline from May 2025.
Online sportsbooks accounted for $65.8 million of Pennsylvania revenue on a $571.8-million handle. Retail operators made $1.8 million from $23.8 million in wagers.
The $52.6-million taxable revenue generated $17.9 million for the state and $1 million for the local assessment fund.
FanDuel wins big
| Online Operator | May Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $199.2 million | $28.5 million |
| DraftKings | $188 million | $18.4 million |
| Fanatics | $44.1 million | $4.3 million |
| BetMGM | $41.4 million | $3.6 million |
| bet365 | $37.6 million | $4.6 million |
FanDuel remained on top in the Keystone State, generating nearly $200 million in wagers. A 14.3% hold led to $28.5 million in gross revenue, $10 million more than second-place DraftKings.
Still, DraftKings generated $188 million in bets, 37% more than the previous year. DraftKings held on to 9.8% of that handle.
Fanatics won back just under 10% on a $44.1-million handle, while BetMGM produced an 8.7% hold in May on a handle of $41.4 million. One of the state’s highest holds went to bet365, which kept 12.2% of a $37.6-million handle.
Total gaming record
Despite sports betting’s struggles, other forms of gaming helped generate the highest-grossing month in Pennsylvania history in May. Land-based casinos, iGaming, sportsbooks, fantasy sports, and video game terminals combined for a record $625.5 million, beating out January 2025’s $623.1 million.
The 3.9% year-over-year revenue increase for all gaming forms was aided greatly by a 9.4% spike in iGaming profits, which reached $254.8 million. In-person slot machines' year-over-year revenue grew by 3.2%, while table games increased 1.7%.
The state hauled in over $269 million in tax revenue from the impressive gaming month.
