Pennsylvania is one of the richest gambling states in the country with plenty of retail and online casinos. In a Q3 update released by the American Gaming Association (AGA), two retail Pennsylvania casinos, Parx Bensalem and Wind Creek Casino, cracked the top 10 commercial casinos outside Nevada in regards to revenue.
The AGA said that Q3 was another banner month for gaming in all sectors, with Pennsylvania at the forefront of the growth.
AGA shows Parx Bensalem and Wind Creek as top casinos outside Nevada
PA online casinos get lots of headlines in the Keystone State, especially after generating record revenue highs in September. However, retail casinos within the state carry a lot of weight, too.
The AGA slotted Parx Bensalem and Wind Creek Casino inside the top 10 casinos outside Nevada based on their earnings. Wind Creek moved up a spot from being 11th in the AGA’s Q1 report. Here are the top 10 casinos with approximate Q3 revenues:
- Resorts World (NY): $230 million
- Borgata (NJ): $205 million
- MGM National Harbor (MD): $203 million
- Encore Boston Harbor (MA): $180 million
- Live! Casino Maryland (MD): $175 million
- Hard Rock Atlantic City (NJ): $150 million
- Parx Bensalem (PA): $147.2 million
- Empire City (NY): $147 million
- MGM Grand Detroit (MI): $145 million
- Wind Creek Casino (PA): $137.7 million
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh also made the overall list of the top 20, coming in 16th.
Retail casinos set an all-time high of $12.49 billion in Q3 revenue, a 1.8% increase year over year. Despite the slight jump, two of the PA casinos listed actually saw reductions compared to last year.
Parx and Rivers Casino Pittsburgh each decreased 2% from the previous year, while Wind Creek experienced nearly a 4% increase.
AGA President and CEO, Bill Miller, said in a press release:
“With growth across land-based and online gaming, we are delivering career opportunities for millions of Americans and strong economic contributions to communities across the country through increased tax revenue. Our sustained momentum reflects gaming as a first-choice entertainment option for millions of American adults.”
PA online casinos lead the way in generating tax revenue
Pennsylvania online casinos create what’s considered the most robust market in the country. The state set a US record in September by producing $187.3 million in monthly revenue. Although October counts as Q4, the Keystone State almost topped September’s total after posting $186.9 million last month.
There are only six states that have legal online casinos. Those are:
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- Michigan
- Delaware
- Connecticut
- West Virginia
These six markets have combined for more than $16.32 billion in revenue and $4 billion in state and local taxes, with Pennsylvania leading the charge:
- Pennsylvania: $1.83 billion
- New Jersey: $1.04 billion
- Michigan: $1.03 billion
- Connecticut: $89 million
- West Virginia: $44 million
- Delaware: $19 million
The industry is not expected to get smaller, with several more states planning to legalize online casinos in the coming years. Pennsylvania is on pace to generate more than $2 billion in online casino revenue in 2023 alone.
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PA online sports betting is growing along with national trends
The AGA is reporting that sports betting, on a national scale, is on track for a record year. Despite a light sports calendar during the Q3 months, legal sports betting recorded $2.23 billion in handle, a 22.8% annual increase over the same period last year.
If there’s any indication of sports betting growing, look no further than Pennsylvania. Even though October is in Q4, PA online sportsbooks set a handle record, posting $829 million in total bets last month. Pennsylvania has increased betting handle in September and October in each of the last three years:
- September 2021: $578.8 million
- October 2021: $776.3 million
- September 2022: $645.2 million
- October 2022: $797.1 million
- September 2023: $726.3 million
- October 2023: $829 million
Pennsylvania’s figures line up with the notion that more people are sports betting. The AGA said that Americans bet $24.10 billion on sports in Q3, a 38.9% increase from the previous year.
Miller added:
“Americans continue to migrate their action to the protections of legal, regulated sportsbooks in record numbers. This sustained demand only reinforces the need for federal and state enforcement against illegal, offshore operators.”
The gambling industry appears it is still just scratching the surface both in Pennsylvania and across the country, too.
