Pennsylvania set state record for gambling revenue in 2021

Audio By Carbonatix

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania set another annual record for gambling revenue in the era of online gambling and sports betting, state regulators said, reporting that casinos and other operators won more than $4.7 billion from gamblers in calendar year 2021 in one of the nation’s largest commercial casino states.

The rebound continues after pandemic-related shutdowns sapped casino revenue in 2020.

The more than $4.7 billion came from 16 operating casinos, including three new mini-casinos in 2021, as well as fantasy sports operators and truck stops, according to figures released Thursday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

That beat the $3.9 billion recorded in fiscal year 2021, as well as the previous calendar year high of $3.4 billion, two years ago.

Revenue in casinos from slot machines continued to slide, dipping below $2.3 billion in 2021. But revenue from table games hit a new calendar-year high of $925 million.

Online gambling, in just its third year, doubled its revenue from 2020 to pass $1.1 billion, while sports betting also continued to grow in just its fourth year, totaling $340 million in revenue.

Pennsylvania legalized both sports betting and online gambling as part of an aggressive gambling expansion in 2017.

Gambling revenue also benefited from the opening of three new casinos, Live! Casino Philadelphia, Hollywood Casino York and Hollywood Casino Morgantown.

Pennsylvania has been neck-and-neck with New Jersey for No. 2 in gambling revenue behind Nevada.