Online Betting Pushes Pennsylvania Sports Betting Handle Past $240 Million in October

"Pennsylvania's online market is finally maturing, and that is certainly the most important reason for the growth in the state's handle," said Jessica Welman, sports betting analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. "The path for more growth is clearer now. A major brand like DraftKings coming online, coupled with intense interest in the Sixers, Flyers, and Penguins, will almost certainly give a boost to the already steady growth we've been seeing."

Pennsylvania's sportsbooks hit a new high in October by accepting $241.2 million in bets in October, up 24% from September's $194.5 million handle, according to official data released Monday. Those bets generated $19.1 million in revenue, down slightly from September's $19.3 million win, leading to an injection of $5.1 million into state coffers.

Pennsylvania's five online sportsbooks generated $198.7 million in October, representing 82% of the state's total handle. That puts Pennsylvania in line with New Jersey, where about 85% of all bets originate online.

Pennsylvania bettors have quickly adopted online sports betting — growing from 65% of all bets in July.

"Online betting will unquestionably be the driver to future growth in Pennsylvania," said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. "Most encouraging is that Pennsylvania's online market is still expanding with new brands, including DraftKings. That should only encourage more growth."

FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino continues to dominate the online market, accepting a record $113.9 million in October bets, up from $85.1 million in September. FanDuel generated $8.1 million in revenue, up from $7.1 million in August.

Rivers-Pittsburgh continued to lead the retail market, accepting $7.7 million in bets in October, up from $7.3 million in September. That yielded $699,611 in revenue, down from $957,791.

"FanDuel's grip on the online market could loosen with increased competition from Fox Bet and DraftKings," Gouker said. "Overall, though, the increased competition will be a benefit to bettors, giving them more choices and spurring product innovation."

Online casinos

Pennsylvania's four online casinos combined to generate $4.9 million in gross revenue in October, up 20% from $4.1 million in September. Online casino wagers grew 42% to $200.2 million, from $140.8 million in September, and generated $1.5 million in state taxes.

Rivers-Philadelphia took the market lead with $2.5 million in revenue on $85.6 million in bets, which was up from $1.1 million in September revenue on $57.3 million in wagers.

Significantly, PokerStars Casino launched in November, which helped usher in online poker to Pennsylvania. And a fifth online casino, Unibet, also joined the mix.

"The online casino market is rapidly changing, and it should continue to grow," Welman said. "Online poker is worth watching. It has largely been forgotten in New Jersey, so Pennsylvania could buck that trend if it can sustain interest."