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With the return of football, Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks saw a predictable surge in betting activity in September, generating a massive $850.5 million in handle.
However, revenue fell sharply, indicating a strong month for bettors in the Keystone State.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported that while handle jumped more than 65% from August and nearly 5% year-over-year, taxable revenue was just $29.7 million.
This represents a 44.5% decrease for Pennsylvania sportsbooks compared to September 2024, a result of a much lower hold for sportsbooks and a significant increase in promotional spending to attract bettors for the new season.
September sports betting at a glance
- Handle: $850.5 million (65.0% MoM increase; 4.8% YoY increase)
- Revenue: $71.8 million (7.9% MoM increase)
- Adjusted Gross Revenue (taxable): $29.7 million (44.5% YoY decrease)
- Hold: 8.4% (down from 12.9% in August)
- Percent of bets placed online: 95.3%
- Promotional credits: $42 million
- September sports betting tax revenue: $10.7 million
- State and local entities tax revenue: $594,712
- Top sports betting app by handle: FanDuel Sportsbook with $297.6 million
- Top sports betting app by revenue (taxable): FanDuel with $15.9 million
Football’s return results in record handle
The start of the NFL and college football seasons had its expected effect, driving the highest sports betting handle of the fiscal year.
September’s $850.5 million dwarfed the $515.4 million wagered in August and the $412.5 million in July.
The month-over-month increase of 65% demonstrates the immense impact of football on the state’s betting market.
Bettors beat the books
Despite the surge in wagers, operators’ revenue took a hit. The primary reason was a significant drop in the statewide hold percentage, which fell from a high of 12.9% in August to just 8.4% in September. This indicates that bettors, on the whole, had a much more successful month against the house.
Also, operators ramped up their promotional spending to capture the football audience, giving out $42 million in credits, more than double the $17.4 million in promotions from August. The aggressive marketing further cut into the taxable revenue figures leading to the steep year-over-year decline.
FanDuel Sportsbook remained Pennsylvania’s top operator, generating $297.6 million in handle and $15.9 million in taxable revenue for September.
PA sportsbook handle by operator in September
DraftKings Sportsbook followed with $253.6 million in handle and $4.1 million in taxable revenue, down significantly from August’s $12.3 million in revenue.
Fanatics Sportsbook posted $63.2 million in handle, maintaining its position ahead of BetMGM Sportsbook, which took in $58.1 million in handle.
| Licensee | Online Brand | Handle | Revenue | Hold | State/Local Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Forge | FanDuel | $297,555,276 | $31,929,183 | 10.7% | $5,706,259 |
| Hollywood Meadows | DraftKings | $253,580,405 | $16,113,403 | 6.4% | $1,475,191 |
| Hollywood York | Fanatics | $63,213,960 | $3,620,248 | 5.7% | $123,951 |
| Hollywood Morgantown | BetMGM | $58,049,686 | $4,267,508 | 7.4% | $762,011 |
| Presque Isle Downs | bet365 | $40,466,780 | $4,570,922 | 11.3% | ($457,944) |
| Hollywood Penn National | ESPN Bet | $34,771,057 | $2,539,925 | 7.3% | $560,937 |
| Rivers Pittsburgh | BetRivers | $29,235,226 | $2,604,430 | 8.9% | $644,012 |
| Harrah’s Philadelphia | Caesars | $29,380,669 | $1,615,632 | 5.5% | $434,692 |
| Parx | betParx | $16,919,879 | $1,370,667 | 8.1% | $494,802 |
| Rivers Philadelphia | PlaySugarHouse | $13,674,303 | $1,123,441 | 8.2% | $306,733 |
| Live Philadelphia | Betway | $8,051,075 | $1,002,005 | 12.4% | $360,722 |
| Live Pittsburgh | $1,593,079 | $512,182 | 32.2% | $184,386 | |
| Mohegan Lehigh Valley | $1,199,571 | $108,407 | 9.0% | $39,026 | |
| Mohegan Pennsylvania | $1,158,087 | $137,049 | 11.8% | $49,338 | |
| Wind Creek | Wind Creek | $939,382 | $176,738 | 18.8% | $63,626 |
| Mount Airy | $639,095 | $68,732 | 10.8% | $24,744 | |
| Parx Shippensburg | $101,818 | $19,023 | 18.7% | $6,848 | |
| Total | $850,529,348 | $71,779,495 | 8.4% | $10,779,334 |
