Pennsylvania's sports betting handle down nearly USD 8 million in April

The eight active Pennsylvania sportsbooks combined to win USD 4.2 million for April, decreasing by 23% from USD 5.5 reached in March. They held about 11.5% from USD 36.8 million handle in total wagers, down close to USD 8 million from March’s haul of USD 44.5 million. The state's sports betting remains limited to land-based properties for now, but regulators expect to approve the first online sportsbooks within weeks.

According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the two Valley Forge sportsbooks opened in mid-March, so their month-to-month comparisons are relative. The license of the main property provides the point of digital entry for FanDuel Sportsbook. The top three spots are similar to the month prior, though the end of NCAA March Madness drove the anticipated slowdown.

Bet Rivers Sportsbook keeps the highest numbers, responsible for nearly USD 8.2 million of the total handle in April. Still enjoying a monopoly on sports betting in western Pennsylvania, it won more than USD 870,000 for the month.

SugarHouse Sportsbook took in more than USD 7.9 million in wagers itself, yielding over USD 780,000 in revenue. Based on recent conversations, expect it to press its advantage in the Philadelphia area by being on the front edge of the online rollout.

Coming in the third-place, Parx Sportsbook actually achieved the highest revenue among operators. It held USD 907,298, good for about 13.25% of the USD 6.85 million it handled in April.

Under the 34% state tax, the Commonwealth earned more than USD 1.4 million in revenue for the month. Local jurisdictions collected another USD 84,430 through their 2% share. Since betting started last November, Pennsylvania’s sports betting law has generated USD 5.72 million in total tax revenue.

Tables games revenue

Figures released and posted last week by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on its web site display table games revenue for April at USD 77,448,426, an increase of 3.7% over April of last year when it was USD 74,667,615. Valley Forge Casino Resort saw the highest variation, from USD 2,075,656 to USD 3,515,491, up 69.37%.

The Board also reported that combined slot machine and table games revenue for April of this year decreased by 1% compared to April of last year. Total tax revenue from table games play during April was USD 12,457,096 with an average of 1,282 tables in daily operation statewide.