The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported $183.7 million in adjusted gross internet casino revenue for August on Wednesday, with slot winnings reaching an all-time monthly high.
Overall, revenue was up 26.7% from last year, furthering the trend of year-over-year, double-digit growth throughout 2024. It was the third-highest total in state history, trailing only the record $191.1 million haul from March and the $184.9 million posted in February. August winnings were also up 5.4% from the $183.4 million reported for July.
Total operator revenue since launch in July 2019 surpassed $6 billion, with $1.39 billion of that total coming this year. Year-to-date revenue is up 26% from the first eight months of 2023, an increase of $287.4 million. Wagering was up more than $1 billion compared to 12 months prior, coming within $5.1 million of $6 billion as year-to-date drop reached $47.5 billion.
Operators reported $138.3 million in revenue derived from slots, up 31.4% from 2023. The house did not sustain that pace when it came to craps, blackjack, roulette and other table games, with the $43.2 million an increase of 15.9%. Poker rake declined 8.9% to $2.22 million, the second-lowest total of the year and just ahead of the $2.2 million reported in June.
The state collected close to $53.4 million in taxes, lifting the year-to-date total to $396.3 million. That is over three times the $112.5 million in receipts sports betting has generated in the Keystone State.
PENN National First to Top $50 Million in Slot Revenue
The previous state record for slot revenue was $135.5 million set in March. Hollywood Casino at PENN National had a large hand in establishing that standard as its internal platform, while BetMGM and DraftKings combined for a state-record $49.2 million. It was the same story in August as the trio accounted for close to $53 million, despite the $1.3 billion drop being $2.4 million less compared to March.
PENN's overall revenue of $72.1 million for the month ranks third all-time behind February ($77.3 million) and March ($72.3 million) due to less revenue from the live dealers and virtual tables. The $18.7 million in winnings, while 8.6% higher from last August, was well off February's all-time high of $29.8 million and the $22.6 million posted in March.
FanDuel, which is tethered to Valley Forge, also had an all-time high in slot revenue at $32.1 million, edging past its previous high of $31.9 million established in April. Its total haul of $45.9 million also ranks third in its annals, an increase of 41.7% from last year that placed behind March ($50.8 million) and April ($48.1 million).
Rivers Casino app Play SugarHouse grabbed the final podium spot for revenue with $30.9 million, the fourth time in the past five months it topped $30 million. That was up 9.9% from last August, with the 29.9% bounce in table games to $4.3 million outpacing the 7.3% bump in slot winnings to $26.5 million.
Caesars Palace cleared $75 million in revenue for 2024 after reporting $8.9 million for August. It also cleared $2 billion in total drop for the year with $255.5 million wagered. Caesars has made notable strides in the past 12 months in Pennsylvania: Its $108.6 million in revenue in that span is up 95.3% from the 12-month period covering September 2022 through August 2023.
On the flip side, PARX's swoon continued with a fourth straight month of year-over-year declines in revenue. The $4.2 million in August winnings were down 20.3% from last year, and the $17.4 million accrued since May represents a decline of 11.5% compared to the same four-month span in 2023. The $13.6 million in revenue from slots the last four months is off 15.4%, overshadowing a 5.7% increase in table games winnings to $3.8 million.
