Canada

Pennsylvania Sportsbooks Take In Just $46 Million In Bets While Online Casinos Surge

Published

5 years ago

May 18, 2020

April’s handle $300 million short of what would have been expected, according to PlayPennsylvania

LAS VEGAS — Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks generated just a fraction of the bets that they would have expected during a normal April, while online casinos and poker rooms smashed their revenue record with $43.1 million. That divergent path—which includes an estimated loss of more than $300 million in sports bets, according to PlayPennsylvania estimates—will continue as long as most major sports and the state’s land-based casinos remain closed.

“The growth in online gambling as well as betting on non-traditional sports are industry bright spots,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “But there just isn’t any way for Pennsylvania operators to compensate for such a dramatic loss of revenue, including at retail sportsbooks and land-based casinos, which can’t generate a single dollar right now.”

During a month in which PlayPennsylvania.com would have estimated a handle of nearly $350 million, Pennsylvania sportsbooks generated just $46 million in wagers, according to official data released Monday. That is down from $131.3 million in March, though up slightly from $36.8 million in April 2019, before online sports betting launched.

Sportsbooks yielded $3.2 million in gross revenue, up from $8.6 million in March. The win resulted in $988,255 in state taxes.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Before the COVID-19 shutdowns, Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks had grown from a 2019 low handle of $31.5 million to a record of $348.4 million in January 2020.

“The momentum that brought records month after month for Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks has been reversed almost instantly,” said Valerie Cross, an analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “Until sports leagues figure out a way to reopen, these dreary results will continue.”

With retail sportsbooks shuttered in April—potentially losing out on some $35 million of in-person bets—online sportsbooks generated Pennsylvania’s entire handle. FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino led the market in April with $19 million in April wagers, down from $53.7 million in March. That yielded $1.3 million in taxable revenue, down from $2.8 million in March. FanDuel was followed by:

DraftKings at The Meadows ($12.6 million handle, down from $28.6 million; $706,589 taxable revenue, down from $1.5 million)
Rivers-Philadelphia ($5.9 million handle, down from $12 million; $309,551 revenue, down from $601,984)
Fox Bet at Mount Airy ($3.7 million handle, down from $6.1 million; $229,469 revenue, up from $159,013)
Rivers-Pittsburgh ($2.4 million handle, down from $8.2 million; $190,013 revenue, down from $535,860)
Parx Casino ($2.2 million handle, down from $7.9 million; $193,662 revenue, down from $618,159)
Unibet at Mohegan Sun Pocono ($92,521 handle, down from $1.2 million; $14,362 revenue, down from $19,750)
Presque Isle Downs ($97,107 handle, down from $483,429; -$4,066 revenue, down from $23,905)
Harrah’s ($28,155 handle, down from $139,790; -$557 revenue, up from -$18,075)

Limited to futures betting and action on nontraditional sports, Pennsylvania’s online sportsbooks are arguably faring better than might have been predicted. And sportsbooks could be getting some help from more mainstream sports soon, with auto racing restarting, golf planning on teeing off in the coming weeks, and Major League Baseball inching closer.

“A $46 million handle with such limited options in terms of sports is a surprise,” Gouker said. “April could potentially be the statistical low point, but there is so much that can happen that the immediate future is impossible to predict. That is a bit disconcerting for operators.”

Online casinos and poker boom

Online casinos and poker rooms brought good news for the industry, combining to generate a whopping $43.1 million in April revenue. That was up 77.4% from the record $24.3 million in March and 121% over February’s $19.5 million. As many of Pennsylvania’s gamblers stayed home and land-based casinos remained closed, casinos and poker revenue hit $1.4 million per day in the 30 days of April, up from $782,768 per day in March.

Online table games and slots generated $1.4 billion in wagers, up from $871.6 million, producing $37.8 million in revenue. Mount Airy/PokerStars—the Keystone State’s only online poker room—generated a record $5.3 million in revenue, beating March’s $3.1 million and edging New Jersey for the online poker revenue record for any state.

As welcome as the rise in online gambling revenue has been, it can’t nearly make up for the lost revenue from land-based casinos. The $23.6 million revenue difference between April and February, represents just 8.5% of the $277.8 million on slot machines and table games revenue generated by land-based casinos in April 2019.

“There will likely be long-term implications from this surge in online gambling interest. A behavioral shift that makes online gambling permanently more popular is likely to continue even after casinos reopen,” Cross said. “But the reality is that despite the gains made at online casinos, the closing of land-based casinos left a revenue hole that can’t be made up.”

Rivers-Philadelphia led the online casino market with $13.7 million in revenue on $477 million in wagers, up from $6.8 million in revenue on $293.2 million in wagers in March. FanDuel/Valley Forge Casino was second with $7.9 million in online revenue on $320.8 million in wagers, up from $5 million in revenue on $250.6 million in wagers in March.

In addition, the number of online casinos in Pennsylvania grew to 10 with the launch of Caesars in April and DraftKings in early May, expanding the FanDuel-DraftKings rivalry beyond sports betting.

“The competition between FanDuel and DraftKings has been a force for innovation in sports betting markets across the country, and we expect that will transfer well to their online gambling products,” Gouker said.

For more information on the revenue generated by Pennsylvania, visit www.playpennsylvania.com/revenue.

Aaron LaBerge

PENN Entertainment Launches Stand-alone iCasino App, theScore Casino, in Ontario

Published

1 day ago

April 10, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

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PENN Entertainment announced that it has launched theScore Casino, a new stand-alone iCasino app in Ontario. The dedicated online casino experience leverages the popular theScore brand, which has been a mainstay in the Ontario market for decades. Now available on Android, iOS, and desktop, customers can login using their existing theScore Bet credentials, allowing for a seamless experience across online gaming platforms.

theScore Casino operates on the same cutting-edge proprietary technology platform as PENN’s online Hollywood Casino, which launched as a standalone product in the US in December. The product was recently ranked by Eilers & Krejcik as the #2 overall iCasino product in the US.

theScore Casino, also available within theScore Bet app, offers a variety of online slots, table games, and live dealer content, including original titles from PENN Game Studios, the company’s in-house game development studio. theScore Casino also includes bespoke live dealer tables and exclusive games such as Blue Jays Blackjack, an original title leveraging theScore Bet’s partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays.

“We’re excited to introduce our dedicated iCasino product in Ontario under the well-known and trusted theScore brand. We’ve built a strong online gaming foothold in the Ontario market and are primed to deliver an even better casino experience with our proven stand-alone app. Our customer-friendly platform features more than 1200 games, dozens of original titles and intuitive game play that distinguishes our product and positions us for even greater success,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive at PENN Entertainment.

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Canada

ELK Studios Expands Partnership with SkillOnNet to Ontario Market

Published

3 days ago

April 8, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

elk-studios-expands-partnership-with-skillonnet-to-ontario-market

PlayOJO, SlotsMagic and SpinGenie to carry ELK Studios’ games in Ontario

Global entertainment brand SkillOnNet and innovative Swedish game creator Elk Studios have cemented their longstanding partnership with the launch of ELK’s groundbreaking portfolio in the Ontario market.

ELK Studios is responsible for some of the industry’s most innovative and engaging online casino games. Now, players at SkillOnNet’s Ontario-licensed casinos, PlayOJO, SlotsMagic and SpinGenie, will be able to experience the feature-packed delights of hit titles like Nitropolis, Tinkerbot and Pirot, as well as new release Orbitfall, and the studio’s signature X-iter and CollectR mechanics.

The expansion marks a milestone for ELK Studios as it continues to grow its footprint in regulated markets worldwide. SkillOnNet recently successfully launched the studio’s portfolio in the Spanish and Mexican markets through its Spanish-language brands and expects the studio’s games to make a similarly immediate impact with Ontario players.

Ontario has become a hugely important growth market since the province launched regulated online gaming in 2022. It was worth $2.4 billion in 2024, with $63 billion in wagering, the lion’s share coming from online casinos.

Jani Kontturi, Head of Games at SkillOnNet said: “ELK Studios is known for its high-quality games that blend unique storytelling and humour with high levels of engagement and playability, which is why we’re delighted to introduce them to Ontario. We believe they will perform successfully, as they have in other markets around the world.”

Vaida Cirtautaite, CCO at ELK Studios said: “SkillOnNet has been an invaluable partner in our growth journey, and we are thrilled to expand our collaboration into Ontario. We’re excited to bring our innovative games to a new wave of players in this dynamic market.”

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AGCO

Playnetic granted Ontario supplier license

Published

4 days ago

April 7, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

playnetic-granted-ontario-supplier-license

Global B2B iGaming content provider secures first Canadian market entry following the successful submission and approval of its gaming-related supplier application

Playnetic, the in-demand global B2B iGaming content provider known for its quality games, reliable delivery and outstanding customer service, has announced the approval of its gaming-related supplier application by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

With the AGCO licensing process being recognised in the industry for its rigorous standards and thorough due diligence, the new certification confirms Playnetic was able to meet the high levels of integrity and regulatory compliance needed to legally distribute its content within the province.

As a result of the approval, Playnetic has now secured its first Canadian market entry and will be able to provide its library of innovative games to licensed operators in the Ontario region – with this starting point paving the way for further expansion into other regulated provinces in future.

Given signs of change emerging within the Canadian market and Alberta making progress toward a regulated online model – likely drawing from Ontario’s framework – this license positions Playnetic strongly to expand its footprint in the country and further solidifies the company’s ambitious growth plans.

In the meantime, Playnetic has already begun making groundwork with key operators in the Ontario region and is looking forward to going live with some exciting brands over the coming months. The company will also be attending SBC’s Canadian Gaming Summit from June 17-19, where both existing and new potential partners alike are welcome to stop by and meet the team.

Dan Phillips, Chief Executive Officer at Playnetic, said: “Acquiring AGCO approval for our gaming-related supplier application is undoubtedly a big step for Playnetic. The new license not only secures our first Canadian market entry, but also reaffirms Playnetic’s position as a trusted provider in iGaming and underlines our commitment to compliance and operational excellence.”

Julian Borg-Barthet, Chief Commercial Officer at Playnetic, said: “We’re very excited to now be in a position to offer our library of innovative gaming content in Ontario, and the groundwork to do that with some of the region’s biggest licensed operators is already underway. Over time, we’re confident this license will also help us expand further into current markets and emerging regulated provinces, such as Alberta.”

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