Summer slumps exist for a reason when it comes to sports betting, with fewer sporting events and abundant outdoor activities providing the perfect conditions for a drop in volume. Pennsylvania online sportsbooks felt the effects, registering $338.5 million in total bets in July.
This was a drop from June’s $373.2 million, but a marginal increase from the $336.5 million wagered in July 2022.
PlayPennsylvania Managing Editor, Chris Imperiale, said:
“Pennsylvania sports betting figures again suffered a slight setback from the previous month, producing just $338.5 million in total bets for July. This was a 9.3% decrease from June, however a slight increase from July 2022. The start of the Women’s World Cup wasn’t enough to provide a noticeable boost in the market and the lack of a deep run from Team USA won’t help next month’s figures, either. August does feature the return of college football though, so PA sports betting should see brighter days ahead in the near future.”
July 2023 numbers for Pennsylvania sports betting
Figures from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board:
- Handle: $338.5 million (9.3% MoM decrease; 0.6% YoY increase)
- Revenue: $39.4 million (16.3% MoM increase; 18.6% YoY increase) / Adjusted Gross Revenue (taxable): $32.1 million
- Hold: 11.6% (up from 9.1% last month)
- Percent of bets placed online: 93.4%
- Promotional credits: $7.3 million
- July sports betting taxes: $11.5 million
- State and local entities: $641,795.71
- Top sports betting app by handle: FanDuel Sportsbook with $127.6 million
- Top sports betting app by revenue: FanDuel Sportsbook with $17.3 million
Quick analysis from July PA sports betting figures
- Baseball wagering carries the torch through July, but doesn’t have enough demand to match other months. Other off-peak months like June have the NBA and NHL playoffs to help boost action. The US Women’s World Cup didn’t provide much support, while Team USA also didn’t do PA sportsbooks any favors going forward with its early loss to Sweden in the Round of 16.
- Most states have a two-horse race for the top operator between FanDuel and DraftKings Sportsbook. However, this race isn’t close in Pennsylvania, as FanDuel’s handle ($127.6 million) and revenue ($17.3 million) were 43% and 78% higher than DraftKings’ respective totals of $88.9 million and $9.7 million. Their lifetime discrepancies are even more significant: FanDuel has handled $8.35 billion to DraftKings’ $5.28 billion, and its $807.6 million in revenue is more than double DraftKings’ $327.2 million.
- The upcoming football season will tell us a lot about Pennsylvania’s sports betting ceiling. Total betting volume through July is $3.87 billion, about $27 million less than the $3.9 billion to date through 2022. Will we see more of a continued plateau in 2023, or will sportsbooks experience another new peak this fall?
PA sports betting handle & revenue by operator July 2023
| Licensee | Online Brand | Handle | Revenue | Hold | Taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Forge | FanDuel | $127,637,627 | $17,271,970 | 13.5% | $4,917,272 |
| Hollywood Meadows | DraftKings | $88,925,664 | $9,735,038 | 10.9% | $3,062,349 |
| Hollywood Morgantown | BetMGM | $24,563,210 | $2,851,813 | 11.6% | $672,962 |
| Harrah's Philadelphia | Caesars | $19,399,996 | $1,465,012 | 7.6% | $412,747 |
| Rivers Pittsburgh | BetRivers | $17,147,410 | $1,905,423 | 11.1% | $445,323 |
| Parx | betParx | $16,132,679 | $2,017,415 | 12.5% | $672,048 |
| Hollywood Penn National | Barstool | $14,453,270 | $1,363,032 | 9.4% | $490,316 |
| Rivers Philadelphia | PlaySugarHouse | $10,485,776 | $963,507 | 9.2% | $316,621 |
| Hollywood York | PointsBet | $5,291,457 | $337,114 | 6.4% | $59,983 |
| Mount Airy | Fox Bet | $3,598,476 | $307,336 | 8.5% | $106,576 |
| Live Philadelphia | Betway | $3,580,657 | $310,236 | 8.7% | $111,685 |
| Mohegan Pennsylvania | Unibet | $3,394,705 | $390,046 | 11.5% | $108,756 |
| Wind Creek | Wind Creek | $1,034,956 | $81,416 | 7.9% | $29,165 |
| Mohegan Lehigh Valley | $832,465 | $86,848 | 10.4% | $31,265 | |
| Live Pittsburgh | $751,791 | $140,656 | 18.7% | $50,636 | |
| South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook | $722,892 | $133,599 | 18.5% | $48,096 | |
| Presque Isle Downs | $257,086 | $844 | 0.3% | $304 | |
| Parx Malvern | $221,262 | $38,258 | 17.3% | $13,773 | |
| Parx Shippensburg | $18,885 | $6,792 | 36.0% | $2,445 | |
| Total | $338,450,263.46 | $39,406,353.30 | 11.6% | $11,552,323 |
