Pennsylvania Gaming Industry Starts 2025 Strong After Record 2024
Pennsylvania's gaming revenue began 2025 just as it finished 2024 — robust.
On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) disclosed January revenue figures for the state’s 17 physical casinos, iGaming, sports wagering, fantasy sports, and video gaming terminals. The overall total reached over $529 million, reflecting an almost 11% increase since January 2024.
iGaming, which encompasses online slot machines and interactive table games like poker rake, remains the primary driver of growth. The state's online casinos achieved a record gross gaming revenue (GGR) exceeding $210.7 million.
Online GGR increased by 40.5% compared to last January, an increase exceeding $60.6 million.
Bill Miller, President and CEO of the American Gaming Association, stated this week at the release of the trade group's 2024 commercial GGR report that iGaming remains popular with gamblers.
"Commercial gaming continues to demonstrate unprecedented success. Much of this growth has been driven by the continued expansion in online gaming,” Miller said.
This has undoubtedly been true in Pennsylvania. In January 2024, GGR in the Keystone State experienced an increase in iGaming revenue, reaching $2.17 billion. Although traditional income at the state’s physical casinos decreased by 1.5%, iGaming grew by 25%.
Pennsylvania Casinos Start 2025 on a High Note
Following a decline in physical revenue in 2024, Pennsylvania casinos bounced back to start the new year. The PGCB reported that the 17 physical casinos generated $261.5 million from their slots and tables, reflecting nearly a 4% increase from January 2024, when the in-person GGR was $252.1 million.
Revenue from retail slots increased by nearly 5% to reach $187.8 million. Felt win increased by 1.5% to $73.7 million.
January 2025 had an identical count of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays as January 2024. The increase was likely supported by a severely cold month across much of the state. While used to chilly January weather, last month was unusually frigid and restricted numerous outdoor winter activities.
Parx Casino, situated north of Philadelphia in Bensalem, maintained its leading status among the 17 physical casinos with a GGR of about $45.4 million. Wind Creek Bethlehem in Eastern PA ranked second, generating $40.7 million from live players.
Eagles Defeat Sportsbooks
The only gaming sector in Pennsylvania that saw a decline compared to the previous year was the sportsbooks. It was certainly an intense plunge, as bettors in Pennsylvania heavily supported the Philadelphia Eagles during their playoff journey, culminating in a Super Bowl win this month.
Oddsmakers indicated a profit of $51.5 million, marking a 26% decrease from January 2024, when they retained nearly $70 million of the total bets placed. In January, bettors wagered more than $873.1 million on sports, resulting in oddsmakers keeping less than 6%.
Nearly all of the $2.3 million in sports betting revenue was generated through online wagers.
Premier Casino Is Premier Sportsbook
In addition to retail, iGaming, and sports betting, revenue from video gaming terminals at truck stops increased by 4.5% to roughly $3.2 million, while fees from fantasy sports contests rose by 9% to $2.7 million.
In terms of the overall view, Valley Forge Casino Resort ranked first as the highest-grossing casino, achieving a total GGR of almost $97.8 million. Most of the casino's income was generated online, with its partner FanDuel being the leading sportsbook in the state, contributing $28.8 million to the January revenue. Valley Forge’s iGaming platforms, FanDuel and Stardust, ranked just behind Penn Entertainment’s online gaming operations.