Keystone State sports betting action rose 10.7% during a highly profitable May.
Key Takeaways
- While the year-over-year handle was up, May’s handle fell below $700 million.
- Taxable revenue spiked 34.4%, filling the Keystone State’s coffers with over $20 million.
- Pennsylvania set a new record for total gaming revenue in May.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported that the state’s online and retail sportsbooks generated a $655.3 million handle, up from the $591.9 million produced in the same month in the previous year.
However, May’s handle was the first under $700 million in 2025 and the lowest since $485.3 million was wagered in August 2024. It’s also the second consecutive month with a handle drop-off.
The month featured plenty of NBA and NHL playoff action, but none involved Keystone State pro teams.
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Hauling in the profits
The downward trend didn’t affect sportsbooks’ profits. Operators hauled in $76.1 million in gross revenue, a 23.3% year-over-year increase, behind an impressive 11.6% hold.
It was in May that Pennsylvania produced the most gross revenue since January’s $84.3 million. It’s the first double-digit win rate of 2025 and the highest since September 2024. Taxable revenue was up 34.4% to $59.4 million, filling the Keystone State’s coffers with $21.4 million from sports betting.
FanDuel dominates in May
| Online Operator | May Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $250.8 million | $34.5 million |
| DraftKings | $167.3 million | $19.4 million |
| BetMGM | $49.6 million | $3.5 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $42.1 million | $5.4 million |
| BetRivers | $29.1 million | $2.3 million |
| bet365 | $28.2 million | $3.1 million |
Online Pennsylvania sports betting generated $625 million in wagers and $73.1 million in gross revenue.
FanDuel dominated betting action in May, producing a state-best $250.8 million handle. The online operator’s $34.5 million in gross revenue was nearly $13 million more than April’s haul. DraftKings finished second with a handle of $167.3 million, down from $184 million in wagers generated during the previous month. However, the online operator enjoyed a 6.6% month-over-month gross revenue increase to $19.4 million.
No other operator reached $50 million in wagers, but BetMGM came close with a $49.6-million handle. The online sportsbook finished fourth in gross revenue behind Fanatics Sportsbook, which generated $5.4 million in profits from a $42.1-million handle.
BetRivers rounded out the top five with a $29.1-million handle, but bet365’s 11% hold on a $28.2 million produced $800,000 more revenue than BetRivers.
Surpassing $600 million
All forms of gaming, including fantasy sports contests, produced the best month ever in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State exceeded $600 million in gross gaming revenue for the first time in May, and the $601.8 million in profits were up 15.5% year over year.
iGaming saw an even more significant year-over-year increase, rising 33.8% to $232.8 million. Revenue from Pennsylvania online casinos, including slots, table games, and poker, was also up 2.2% from April. The Keystone State hauled in $104.6 million in tax revenue from iGaming in May.
