Gambling in the USA
Pennsylvania Sportsbooks Lose Out On $220 Million In Bets While Online Casinos Hit New Revenue Record In March
With $24.3 million in revenue, online casinos and poker lone bright spot for the industry, according to PlayPennsylvania
LAS VEGAS — The handle for Pennsylvania’s retail and online sportsbooks shrunk in March to its smallest monthly total since August 2019, while online casinos and poker exploded to a new record. Coronavirus shutdowns loom over the gambling industry, costing sportsbooks $220 million in wagers in March, according to PlayPennsylvania estimates, and sending home-bound bettors to online casinos and poker rooms in record numbers.
“Pennsylvania’s gaming industry is navigating waters that are unprecedented anywhere,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “It’s an industry that employs thousands in Pennsylvania and generates millions of dollars in tax revenue, and it is not designed to be closed. Growth in online casinos is helping, but it can’t entirely make up for the revenue lost from sports betting and land-based casinos being shut down.”
Pennsylvania sportsbooks appeared headed for its first month with a handle of more than $350 million in revenue. But with the sports world largely shuttered after March 11, Pennsylvania’s handle slumped to just $131.3 million for the month, according to official data released Thursday. That is down 60.2% from $329.8 million in February, though up from $44.5 million in March 2019, before online sports betting launched.
March’s revenue hit $8.6 million, up from $4.7 million in February. The win resulted in $2.3 million in tax revenue for the state.
The suspension of the NBA season on March 11 sent shockwaves through the sports world, leading to the eventual indefinite shut down of most major events. That included the cancelation of March Madness, which would have attracted $100 million in bets at Pennsylvania sportsbooks, according to PlayPennsylvania estimates. The closures have limited books to futures betting, mostly on the NFL, and some international sports.
“The timing of the coronavirus shutdowns was particularly damaging to Pennsylvania sportsbooks, costing the industry millions in basketball-related bets,” Gouker said. “The first weekend of March Madness is the second-biggest sports betting event in the U.S., behind only the Super Bowl, and its cancellation leaves no feasible way to make up that revenue. Obviously, there are dramatic health and economic concerns for everyone right now, but the loss of revenue will be felt by Pennsylvania’s gambling industry for quite some time.”
$118.3 million, or 90.1%, of the state’s March handle came from online betting. FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino led the market with $53.7 million in March wagers, down from $138.5 million in February. That yielded $2.8 million in taxable revenue, up from $146,080 in February. FanDuel was followed by:
- DraftKings at The Meadows ($28.6 million in handle, down from $72.3 million; $1.5 million taxable revenue, up from $1 million)
- Rivers-Philadelphia ($12 million in handle, down from $24.7 million; $601,984 revenue, down from $784,565)
- Rivers-Pittsburgh ($8.2 million in handle, down from $18.9 million; $535,860 revenue, down from $680,514)
- Parx Casino ($7.9 million handle, down from $19.9 million; $618,159 revenue, down from $818,817)
- Fox Bet at Mount Airy ($6.1 million handle, down from $14.4 million; $159,013 revenue, down from $539,372)
- Unibet at Mohegan Sun Pocono ($1.2 million handle, down from $4 million; $19,750 revenue, down from $86,558)
- Presque Isle Downs ($483,429 handle, down from $1.4 million; $23,905 revenue, down from $37,258)
- Harrah’s ($139,790 handle, -$18,075 revenue)
Rivers-Philadelphia led the retail market with a $2.3 million handle, down from $7.2 million in February. That yielded $146,281 in revenue, down from $383,793. Rivers-Philadelphia was followed by:
- Parx ($2 million handle, down from $5.9 million; $168,090 revenue, up from $127,231)
- Rivers-Pittsburgh ($1.8 million handle, down from $6 million; $130,270 revenue, down from $809,858)
- South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook ($1.1 million handle, down from $2.7 million; $87,757 revenue, down from $181,236)
- Presque Isle ($1.1 million handle, down from $1.7 million; $35,838 revenue, up from $12,865)
- Harrah’s Philadelphia ($1 million handle, down from $2.9 million; $94,056 revenue revenue, up from -$64,494)
- Valley Forge Casino ($859,504 handle, down from $2.5 million; -$40,280 revenue, up from -$75,306)
- Mount Airy ($769,909 handle, up from $589,668; $14,344 revenue, up from -$20,065 in revenue)
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course ($571,511 handle, down from $2.1 million; $53,730 revenue, up from -$150,053)
- Mohegan ($463,552 handle, down from $1.7 million; -$15,336 revenue, down from $19,561)
- Oaks Race and Sportsbook ($284,736 handle, down from $856,374; -$8,526 revenue, down from $17,529)
“The bottom line is that Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks will not be healthy again until the sports world begins to reopen,” Gouker said. “No one yet knows for sure when that day will come. But sports leagues everywhere are trying to figure out ways to begin games again, so there is at least some reason for some optimism.”
Online casinos and poker boom
With land-based casinos closed and many of the state’s residents home-bound, Pennsylvania’s online casinos and poker rooms boomed to dramatic new records. Combined, online casino games and poker generated a record $24.3 million in revenue, easily surpassing the previous best of $19.5 million in revenue set just last month. March’s gains yielded $5.9 million in tax revenue for the state.
Poker alone generated $3.1 million in March revenue, all by Mount Airy/PokerStars, the lone online poker operator in the state. Previously, the all-jurisdiction record for poker revenue in a month was $3.1 million, set in October 2016 in New Jersey. The Garden State also set a new record in March with $3.6 million.
Online casinos boosted monthly revenue to $21.1 million on $871.6 million in wagers, which was up from $547.6 million in bets in February.
A high tax rate and technological issues had slowed the development of Pennsylvania’s online casinos and poker industry, and even now those issues continue to impede the market. But March’s gains were much-needed for an industry with nowhere else to turn.
“Pennsylvania’s online product has been slow to develop, but the revenue the industry is generating now is vital to the gaming industry and the state budget,” Gouker said. “Ideally, Pennsylvania’s online casino industry would’ve had the opportunity to mature more quickly. But it is definitely better than if it didn’t exist at all, as is the case in most states.”
Other important online data from March:
- Rivers-Philadelphia led the market with $6.8 million in revenue on $293.2 million in wagers. That is up from $4.8 million in revenue on $194.7 million in wagers in February.
- FanDuel/Valley Forge Casino was second with $5 million in online revenue on $250.6 million in wagers. That was down from $6.1 million in revenue on $279.3 million in wagers in February.
- Casinos and poker generated $782,768 per day in the 31 days of March, up from $672,097 per day in the 29 days in February.
For more information on the revenue generated by Pennsylvania sports betting, visit www.playpennsylvania.com/revenue.
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Andrzej Hyla Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan
Wazdan strengthens US footprint with launch on Caesars Entertainment’s online casino platforms in West Virginia
Wazdan today announced it has strengthened its North American presence with a new launch in West Virginia across Caesars Entertainment’s marquee online casino platforms, including Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino.
Facilitated by the Light & Wonder aggregation platform, the collaboration sees Wazdan titles go live on Caesars’ online gaming platforms serving players across the Mountain State.
West Virginia players can now access a selection of Wazdan’s top-performing releases, including 9 Coins
Grand Gold Edition, Magic Spins and Hot Slot: 777 Crown, alongside the supplier’s signature engagement-boosting mechanics such as Cash Infinity, Hold the Jackpot and Sticky to Infinity, with each designed to elevate entertainment and deliver measurable growth for operators.
The latest expansion marks another key step for Wazdan in North America, following successful deployments across Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and earlier entries into West Virginia.
Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “Launching with Caesars Entertainment in West Virginia is a fantastic achievement for our team and a pivotal moment in our US strategy.
“Caesars is one of the most recognisable names in gaming and bringing our top titles to their online casino brands, via Light & Wonder, allows us to further broaden our reach while delivering the innovative experiences players have come to expect from Wazdan.”
Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Introducing Wazdan’s popular slot titles to our online casino players in West Virginia furthers our continued commitment to providing the best possible user experience.
“This addition expands our library of premium titles, which we look forward to offering across our online casino platforms in the Mountain State.”
The post Wazdan strengthens US footprint with launch on Caesars Entertainment’s online casino platforms in West Virginia appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Partnership sees leading branded content and popular Jackpot Royale integrated into Delaware North’s Betly online casino in the Mountain State
White Hat Studios, the “House of Brands” provider to the United States iGaming market, has partnered with Delaware North to launch on its Betly mobile sportsbook and casino in West Virginia.
The leading provider aims to build its online casino offering with the addition of the industry’s top-performing games.
Betly players in West Virginia will now have access to White Hat Studios’ acclaimed portfolio of premium branded titles, including Ted, The Goonies, and the award-winning 7s Fire Blitz series.
Also included in the rollout are the popular Jackpot Royale and Jackpot Royale Express progressive jackpot networks, currently live across more than 40 titles, and the first Betly-branded iCasino game – Betly Player’s Choice Blackjack.
Designed to elevate player engagement and boost retention, the addition of these promotional tools adds another layer of excitement to the Betly casino offering.
White Hat Studios has made significant strides in its U.S. growth trajectory since launching in 2021, consistently delivering high-performing content across multiple states. West Virginia remains a key market for the provider, following its remarkable success in all seven regulated U.S. iGaming states.
The collaboration represents another major step in White Hat Studios’ expansion across regulated U.S. states and reinforces its reputation as a go-to content partner for forward-thinking operators.
Daniel Lechner, SVP Sales and Marketing at White Hat Studios, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Delaware North on the Betly online casino app in West Virginia.
“This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering top-tier content quickly and seamlessly to operators across the U.S. With our portfolio of fan-favorite branded titles and innovative features like Jackpot Royale, we’re confident we’ll make an immediate impact for Betly and its players.”
Bob Akeret, General Manager for Betly, added: “We’re excited to welcome White Hat Studios onto our Betly platform in West Virginia. Their reputation for delivering engaging, high-quality games, especially branded content, makes them an ideal partner as we continue to elevate our casino experience.”
The post White Hat Studios launches with Betly mobile sportsbook and casino in West Virginia appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
VGO Promo, a long-standing platform known for bridging the worlds of cryptocasinos, cryptocurrency exchanges and CSGO skins gaming, has announced a comprehensive expansion of its verification framework designed to bring transparency to online promotional offers. The updated system enhances how users evaluate bonuses across three intersecting ecosystems. Founded during the peak of the CSGO skins economy, VGO Promo originally provided referral codes for case opening websites and virtual item platforms. As the industry evolved towards blockchain based gaming, Bitcoingambling and crypto trading, VGO Promo expanded its scope to support modern platforms including Roobet, Stake, Rollbit, CSGORoll, Duelbits, Binance, OKX, ByBit, Bitget and various case opening services within the CSGO community. The updated verification framework applies a structured, cross industry methodology to help users navigate rapidly changing promotional conditions.
FanDuel has announced the launch of Pass The Leg, a first-of-its-kind in-app feature that transforms traditional parlay betting into a shared, social experience just in time for holiday gatherings. Pass The Leg allows customers to build a single group parlay collaboratively, with each participant adding their own leg before placing individual bets using their own funds. Designed to bring friends and family together around one of the biggest football days of the year whether near or far, the feature allows users to start or join a Group Build, invite others to contribute picks, and then add the completed parlay to their personal betslip. Each contributor can also take advantage of a dedicated Pass The Leg Profit Boost, amplifying the excitement and potential payout of the shared pick. Available exclusively for the three NFL games taking place on Thanksgiving Day, Pass The Leg marks the first true multi-user parlay-building experience offered by a major U.S. sportsbook operator.
Partnerships
The St. Louis Blues announced an agreement designating DraftKings an Official Sports Betting and Daily Fantasy Operator of the Blues. The announcement comes ahead of the launch of legal sports betting in Missouri scheduled for Dec. 1, 2025. DraftKings has been an Official Sports Betting, Daily Fantasy Sports and iGaming Partner of the National Hockey League since 2021. As part of the agreement, DraftKings will spotlight responsible gaming through a pregame, in-arena feature, encouraging fans to play responsibly, have fun and access DraftKings’ comprehensive suite of responsible gaming tools and resources. DraftKings will have rights to use St. Louis Blues intellectual property — including team trademarks and logos — across marketing and promotional materials. The collaboration will feature in-arena signage, brand integrations across television and radio and exclusive hospitality experiences throughout the season, all designed to elevate fan engagement at the Enterprise Centre and beyond.
Signature Systems Inc (SSI) has announced a new partnership with Yellow Dog Software. The integration connects Yellow Dog’s advanced inventory capabilities with SSI’s PDQ POS system, enabling operators to streamline operations, improve cost control and gain real-time visibility across their properties. The partnership was initiated to meet the inventory needs of Osage Casinos, a major name in tribal gaming. The integration, which went live in September, was first deployed to support convenience store reporting and ordering across the properties.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – November 24-30 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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