The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported that the state’s September sports betting handle hit $850.6 million, more than 4.8% ahead of where it was a year ago.
Despite that promising growth, taxable gaming revenue was down to a shocking $29.7 million, or 44.5% below the total that was generated during September 2024.
Key Takeaways
- Nearly 82% of sports betting revenue was generated online.
- FanDuel dominated the state market, generating nearly 4x the revenue of DraftKings.
- The entire gambling market was up nearly 6% year-over-year.
Of the $29.7 million in taxable revenue, $24.4 million (81.9%) was produced by the licensed online sportsbooks. The remaining $5.4 million was generated by retail sportsbooks at casinos located across the state.
Just two of 16 casinos offering retail sports betting or that partnered with online sportsbooks showed year-over-year increases in sports betting revenue.
Pennsylvania sportsbooks are taxed 36% of their revenue – 34% of that stays with the state, and the remaining 2% is shared locally.
Based on that, the regulator collected $10.7 million in gaming taxes during September. That was less than each of the previous two months included in the current fiscal year, despite those months having only handles of $412.5 million and $515.4 million, respectively.
FanDuel leads the way
| Online Operator | September Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $297.6 million | $32 million |
| DraftKings | $253.6 million | $16.1 million |
| Fanatics | $63.2 million | $3.6 million |
| BetMGM | $58.1 million | $4.2 million |
| BetRivers | $42.9 million | $3.7 million |
| ESPN BET | $34.8 million | $2.5 million |
| Caesars | $29.4 million | $1.6 million |
FanDuel led the Pennsylvania market in both handle and total revenue. The sportsbook reported $297.6 million and $31.9 million, respectively.
DraftKings was second with $253.6 million in handle, and $16.1 million in revenue. That meant it generated half of FanDuel’s revenue total despite having similar handles.
Fanatics barely beat BetMGM to the podium with a $63.2-million handle, and reported $3.6 million in revenue. BetMGM had a $58.1-million handle and surpassed Fanatics in revenue with $4.2 million.
BetRivers was next with $42.9 million in total wagers and $3.7 million in revenue, followed by ESPN BET, which had a $34.8-million handle and $2.5 million in revenue.
Caesars brought up the rear with $29.4 million in bets and revenue of $1.6 million.
iGaming record within reach
While the Pennsylvania sports betting market had an up-and-down month in September, iGaming almost set a new record.
The overall gambling market also produced $533.3 million in revenue, which was up nearly 6% year-over-year and just 8% below the all-time mark of $582.3 million, set in August.
