U.S. commercial gaming revenue rose 5.6% from July to USD 3 B in August

The American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker, which features monthly and year-to-date gross gaming revenue (GGR) at a state and national level, shows that commercial gaming revenue reached $3B in August, a 5.6% increase over July, signaling gaming’s steady recovery from COVID-19.

🚨 NEW: Commercial gaming revenue reached $3B in August, a 5.6% increase over July, signaling gaming’s steady recovery from COVID-19. See the latest numbers, broken down by state and gaming vertical. ➡️ https://t.co/9pU9E1lPAI pic.twitter.com/ZeNvbT1lm2

— American Gaming Association (@AmericanGaming) October 6, 2020

August, the most recent month with complete national data, marked the fourth consecutive month of recovery for the commercial gaming industry following April’s historic low-point. The path to a full recovery is still long, with August 2020 down 19.8 percent compared to 2019, as slot and table game GGR remain in the red.

Eight commercial casinos reopened in August, including three casinos in Detroit, MI (8/5), four properties in Miami-Dade County, FL (8/31), and one casino on the Las Vegas Strip (8/27). The four casinos in Lake Charles, LA re-closed on August 25 in preparation of Hurricane Laura, leaving 46 commercial casinos still shuttered at month’s end.

Mississippi, Ohio, and Pennsylvania saw year-over-year gaming revenue gains for a second consecutive month, while South Dakota has now had revenue grow in each of the past three months. Ohio casinos set an all-time record for August with $172.1 million in gaming revenue.

Nine states showed signs of continued recovery in August, with reduced year-over-year revenue declines compared to July. Eight states reported gaming revenue approaching last year’s level, despite continuing to operate with limited capacity, game availability, and non-gaming amenities.

Several states saw more money wagered on sports in August than in any previous month, including Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, and New Jersey. The Garden State’s sportsbooks accepted $668 million in bets in August – the largest monthly handle ever recorded in any state. National sports betting revenue is up 31.5 percent in the first seven months of 2020, compared to the same period last year; the total amount wagered rose 24.1 percent.

AGA’s new Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and cumulative insight into the U.S. commercial gaming industry’s financial performance. Monthly updates on AmericanGaming.org feature topline figures based on state revenue reports while quarterly reports provide a more detailed analysis covering the three previous months.