Pennsylvania’s sports betting surge continues to push the ceiling in the legal US sports betting industry. Combined online and retail monthly betting handle went over the $600 million mark for the first time in January, as Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks kept climbing in one of the prime months on the sports betting calendar.
After ceding the top monthly revenue spot to Barstool Sportsbook in December, FanDuel Sportsbook found its usual spot as January’s top-earning mobile sportsbook.
Pennsylvania entered 2021 as the No. 2 online sports betting market in the US, with only New Jersey producing more online handle and revenue. One month into 2021, the Keystone State continued to hold status as one of the biggest sports betting hubs in the US.
Pennsylvania Mobile Vs. Retail Betting Handle January 2021
| Overall Betting Handle | Mobile Betting Handle | % Handle From Mobile | MTM Handle Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $615,294,827 | $579,941,653 | 94.3% | 12.2% |
| 2021 Totals | $615,294,827 | $579,941,653 | 94.3% |
Pennsylvania sportsbooks set a new all-time monthly high in both overall betting handle ($615,294,827) and mobile handle ($579,941,653) in January. The overall betting handle figure represents a 12.2% increase month-to-month over December 2020, which set the previous monthly benchmark ($548,590,095).
Mobile sports betting apps took 94.3% of all bets in Pennsylvania for January. Retail betting handle surged in the first month of 2021, with land-based casinos taking $35,353,174 in bets for a 164.2% month-to-month increase.
Despite those gains for retail sportsbooks, online wagering dominated Pennsylvania’s sports betting industry. The breakdown of online versus retail handle from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board can be viewed here.
Pennsylvania Online Sports Betting Revenue January 2021
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | January 2021 Revenue | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Forge Casino Resort | FanDuel Sportsbook | $14,293,196 | +102.6% | $14,293,196 |
| The Meadows | DraftKings Sportsbook | $7,720,309 | +43.7% | $7,720,309 |
| Parx Casino | Parx Sportsbook | $1,845,056 | -6.4% | $1,845,056 |
| Mount Airy Casino Resort | FOX Bet | $1,768,955 | -3.9% | $1,768,955 |
| Rivers Philadelphia | SugarHouse Sportsbook | $1,361,433 | +30.8% | $1,361,433 |
| Rivers Pittsburgh | BetRivers Sportsbook | $1,280,033 | -21.1% | $1,280,033 |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National | Barstool Sportsbook | $1,067,375 | -92.3% | $1,067,375 |
| Hollywood Casino Morgantown | BetMGM | $414,300 | +1149.8% | $414,300 |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono | Unibet Sportsbook | $377,770 | +338.2% | $377,770 |
| Harrah’s Philadelphia | Caesars Sportsbook | $36,506 | +132.5% | $36,506 |
| Presque Isle Downs | BetAmerica | -$81,367 | N/A | -$81,367 |
| Wind Creek Bethlehem | Wind Creek Sportsbook | -$143,898 | N/A | -$143,898 |
| Totals | $29,939,668 | -9.0% | $29,939,668 |
FanDuel Sportsbook reclaimed the top spot in online revenue market share, earning $14,293,196 in January. That status as the state’s No. 1 revenue-earning mobile sportsbook is a familiar accolade for FanDuel, which held that position throughout much of 2020.
After topping the Pennsylvania rankings in December, Barstool Sportsbook dropped 92.3% month-to-month. Under the Penn National Hollywood Casino license, Barstool Sportsbook produced $65 million in online betting handle, compared to $220.7 million for the Valley Forge (FanDuel Sportsbook) license and $143.5 million for the Meadows (DraftKings Sportsbook) license.
Based on monthly handle, Barstool has emerged as a solid contender for the No. 3 spot in Pennsylvania’s online sports betting market since launching in September 2020. FanDuel and DraftKings still dominate market share, however.
After the top three, the middle of the pack in Pennsylvania includes Parx, FOX Bet, and the separate SugarHouse and BetRivers platforms.
Online sports betting revenue dropped 9% across all Pennsylvania platforms from December to January. The Keystone State’s mobile sportsbooks issued $15.33 million in promo credits for January, which counts against taxable gross revenue.
The January press release revenue summary from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board can be viewed here.
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