Sports betting in the Keystone State dipped nearly 10% in April compared to the same month in 2025, despite a fairly busy month between the start of the NBA and NHL playoffs, which featured the 76ers and the Flyers.
Key Takeaways
- Busy sports month in Pennsylvania failed to match the previous April’s handle.
- Profits soared 25% year-over-year, thanks to a 12% hold.
- FanDuel recorded its second-most profitable month of 2026.
The NCAA Tournament semifinals, the first full month of MLB, and the Masters couldn’t draw bettors as they did the previous year. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported on Tuesday that bettors wagered $641.6 million for the month, down from $711.5 million bet during the previous April, keeping a concerning streak alive.
A year-over-year handle dip has occurred in every month of 2026 in the Keystone State. Online and retail sportsbooks generated just the second handle under $700 million over the last eight months, and it’s the lowest handle in April in Pennsylvania since 2023.
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Strong profits
Profits, however, tell a different story. The Keystone State’s operators hauled in $77.2 million in gross revenue, a 25% year-over-year increase.
That rise came after year-over-year Pennsylvania revenue grew by 37% in March, leading to nearly $150 million in profits over the last two months, well ahead of the $111 million in gross revenue accumulated during the same span in 2025.
April’s 12% hold was well above the 8.7% win rate recorded during the same month in the previous year, and it was the fourth in double digits over the last six months.
Pennsylvania online sports betting operators won $75 million, their second strongest haul of 2026, on a $617.4 million handle. Retail sportsbooks failed to win back 10% of a $24.1 million handle. The $59 million in adjusted gross revenue led to a $21.2 million tax payout for operators to the state, lifting the year-to-date revenue total for Pennsylvania to well over $70 million.
FanDuel wins big
| Online Operator | April Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $217.9 million | $31.5 million |
| DraftKings | $190.1 million | $21.5 million |
| Fanatics | $52 million | $6.1 million |
| BetMGM | $45.3 million | $3.7 million |
| bet365 | $37.6 million | $4.6 million |
FanDuel played a significant role in Pennsylvania operators’ revenue windfall, generating a 14.3% win rate. The online sportsbook made $31.5 million from a $217.9 million handle, both state-best in April, leading to FanDuel’s second-most profitable month in 2026 behind January’s $38.9 million.
DraftKings also won at a high rate, taking in $21.5 million on a $190.1 million handle. Fanatics finished with an even better 11.7% hold on a $52 million handle.
BetMGM was one of the few operators to win back less than 10%, finishing April with $3.7 million in gross revenue on $45.3 million in wagers, while bet365 posted a solid 10.1% win rate on a $37.6 million handle to produce the fourth-best revenue haul of the month.
iGaming fuels tax payout
iGaming continued to see significant year-over-year growth, rising 8% in April to produce $245.8 million in revenue. The state generated $113.5 million in tax revenue from online casinos.
All forms of gaming, which include sports betting, iGaming, in-person table games and slots, fantasy sports, and video gaming terminals, produced $595 million in revenue for the month. That led to a $255.3 million tax haul for Pennsylvania.
