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Another record has fallen in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board posted November gaming figures and the data reveals that the month’s sports betting handle of $934.1 million broke the state’s record and inched Pennsylvania closer to a $1 billion month.
Despite the unprecedented sports betting handle that sportsbooks brought in, revenue was down month-on-month.
ESPN Bet launch fuels handle but foils revenue
It’s not common for states to see a sports betting revenue decline and a record-breaking handle in the same month. However, as the PGCB explained, ESPN Bet caused the anomaly.
“The Board explains the steep drop in revenue occurred due to both the offering of a significant amount of non-taxable promotional play by the newly-launched ESPNBet operated by under the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course sports wagering certificate and a low hold percentage that benefited bettors,” the PGCB noted in its November data release.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course partners with ESPN Bet, and the PGCB data shows exactly how those promos affected the casino’s sportsbook revenue. Though it generated the third-highest handle total in the state last month, total revenue was -$7.8 million, or more than what 15 casinos earned in November.
| Casino Operator | Total Handle | Retail Revenue | Online Revenue | Total Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Forge Casino Resort | $384,083,610 | $13,255 | $8,382,920 | $8,396,175 |
| Hollywood Casino at the Meadows | $253,073,537 | $20,451 | $7,855,930 | $7,876,381 |
| Parx Casino | $24,474,910 | $756,756 | $252,573 | $1,009,329 |
| Harrah's Philadelphia | $47,602,201 | $137,451 | $861,391 | $998,843 |
| Rivers Casino Pittsburgh | $35,987,333 | $262,072 | $319,646 | $581,718 |
| Rivers Casino Philadelphia | $26,019,491 | $208,325 | $168,650 | $376,974 |
| Live! Casino Philadelphia | $9,596,133 | $160,159 | $84,114 | $244,273 |
| Hollywood Casino York | $13,033,168 | -$80,228 | $289,135 | $208,907 |
| Hollywood Casino Morgantown | $54,304,013 | $200,516 | $2,994 | $203,510 |
| Live! Casino Pittsburgh | $2,034,544 | $186,691 | $0 | $186,691 |
| South Philly Race & Sportsbook1 | $1,739,396 | $161,918 | $0 | $161,918 |
| Wind Creek Bethlehem | $1,813,732 | $128,133 | $5,114 | $133,247 |
| Presque Isle Downs and Casino | $1,928,956 | $125,165 | $0 | $125,165 |
| Mohegan Sun Lehigh Valley2 | $1,175,238 | $104,861 | $0 | $104,861 |
| Mohegan Pennsylvania | $9,554,327 | $146,427 | -$61,455 | $84,972 |
| Mount Airy Casino Resort | $834,031 | $35,277 | -$13,296 | $21,981 |
| Parx Shippensburg | $49,471 | $14,045 | $0 | $14,045 |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National | $66,826,062 | -$16,394 | -$7,828,563 | -$7,844,956 |
| Total | $934,130,152 | $2,564,880 | $10,319,155 | $12,884,034 |
Pennsylvania casino revenue down 1.74% year-on-year
Total revenue for all Pennsylvania casinos reached $444.5 million, down 1.74% from November 2022’s $452.4 million.
| Casino | November 2023 Total Revenue | November 2022 Total Revenue | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course | $74,438,892 | $65,578,930 | 13.51% |
| Valley Forge Casino Resort | $63,879,036 | $57,360,531 | 11.36% |
| Parx Casino | $55,269,233 | $57,065,721 | -3.15% |
| Wind Creek Bethlehem | $47,705,213 | $49,467,064 | -3.56% |
| Rivers Casino Philadelphia | $45,938,417 | $49,134,718 | -6.51% |
| Rivers Casino Pittsburgh | $33,155,807 | $31,580,942 | 4.99% |
| Hollywood Casino at the Meadows | $26,053,840 | $20,992,967 | 24.11% |
| Live! Casino Philadelphia | $24,553,822 | $25,640,507 | -4.24% |
| Mount Airy Casino Resort | $22,801,213 | $20,118,284 | 13.34% |
| Mohegan Pennsylvania | $20,677,705 | $22,626,524 | -8.61% |
| Harrah's Philadelphia | $18,443,017 | $20,092,750 | -8.21% |
| Live! Casino Pittsburgh | $9,811,229 | $10,105,866 | -2.92% |
| Presque Isle Downs and Casino | $9,062,561 | $11,076,244 | -18.18% |
| Hollywood Casino York | $8,691,414 | $8,102,910 | 7.26% |
| Hollywood Casino Morgantown | $6,746,127 | $5,094,764 | 32.41% |
| Video Gaming Terminals | $3,534,347 | $3,750,735 | -5.77% |
| Parx Shippensburg | $2,770,228 | N/A | N/A |
| Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin | $1,639,632 | $2,123,735 | -22.79% |
| Fantasy Contests | $1,551,398 | $1,711,425 | -9.35% |
| Total | $476,723,131 | $461,624,617 | 3.27% |
The decline was felt across most casinos, from the top revenue earner for the month, Hollywood Casino at Penn National (-6.45%), to other key properties like Valley Forge Casino Resort (-6.26%) and Rivers Casino’s properties in Philadelphia (-4.13%) and Pittsburgh (-2.70%).
The bright spots for the month were Wind Creek Bethlehem, which saw its revenue jump 8.27% from $42.37 million in November 2022 to $45.87 million this past month, and Live! Casino Philadelphia also had a solid year-on-year performance, rising 6.68% from $21.46 million to $22.88 million.
Month-on-month, total revenue was down nearly $40 million compared to Pennsylvania’s October gaming revenue. That drop is a concerning one, as revenue from October 2022 to November 2022 ticked up around $2 million.
