Pennsylvania recorded an 11.6% year-on-year rise in gambling revenue in January, driven by strong double-digit gains in both iGaming and sports betting.
According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, total gambling revenue for the month reached $590.6 million. While this figure exceeded January of the prior year, it was 4.2% lower than December 2025.
As in December, sports betting delivered the largest percentage increase at the start of 2026. The only segments of Pennsylvania’s commercial gaming market that did not post growth in January were online poker and fantasy contests.
Sports betting revenue jumps 38.6% in Pennsylvania
Sports betting revenue rose 38.6% year-on-year to $71.4 million. Despite the annual growth, the increase was far smaller than the 287.8% surge recorded in December, and revenue declined 15.8% compared with the previous month.
Online wagering contributed $67.6 million of the total, while retail sportsbooks generated $3.8 million. January handle reached $782.4 million, representing a 10.4% decrease year-on-year.
The results produced a statewide hold of 9.13% across Pennsylvania sportsbooks.
At the operator level, FanDuel, in partnership with Valley Forge Casino Resort, maintained its market lead, reporting $27.7 million in revenue from a $276.3 million handle for a 10.03% hold.
DraftKings and Hollywood Casino at the Meadows held second place with $22.7 million in revenue from $235.8 million, resulting in a 9.63% hold. Hollywood Casino York and Fanatics Sportsbook ranked third, generating $5.6 million from a $56.3 million handle and achieving a 9.95% hold.
iGaming fails to surpass record December
In the iGaming segment, revenue totaled $249.3 million. This represented an 18.6% increase compared with January 2025, though it was 4% below December’s record performance of $259.7 million.
Online slots accounted for the largest share of January revenue, generating $194.8 million — a 22.8% year-on-year rise and the single biggest source of gambling revenue in Pennsylvania. Revenue from internet table games also grew, up 6.2% to $52 million. In contrast, online poker revenue declined 3.6% to $2.5 million.
By operator, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course and its online partners retained the top position with $96.2 million in revenue. Valley Forge Casino Resort and partners ranked second with $67.2 million, followed by Rivers Casino Philadelphia in third with $40.1 million.
Land-based casino revenue edges up
Land-based casino revenue posted year-on-year gains in both major categories. Retail slots revenue increased 0.7% to $189.1 million, while revenue from physical table games rose 2.8% to $75.8 million.
In other segments, video gaming terminals (VGTs) at truck stops recorded a modest 0.6% uptick, reaching $3.2 million. By contrast, fantasy contests revenue declined sharply, falling 29.9% to $1.9 million.
From a tax perspective, iGaming contributed the highest amount in January at $113.9 million. Sports betting generated $25.7 million in tax revenue, followed by retail slots at $95.6 million and physical table games at $12.8 million.
