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Pennsylvania’s sports betting handle was down year over year for the second consecutive month in May.
Key Takeaways
- Pennsylvania’s handle failed to reach $600 million for the second time in the last nine months.
- Gross revenue still surpassed $67 million, aided by an 11.3% hold.
- Total gaming revenue set a record in May.
Following April’s nearly 10% year-over-year decline, online and retail sportsbooks combined for a handle of $595.5 million in May, down 9.1% from a year earlier, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported.
Despite a May that featured the NBA and NHL playoffs, as well as MLB, it was just the second time over the last nine months that Pennsylvania sports betting failed to produce $600 million in wagers.
By comparison, May handle increased by nearly $100 million year over year in 2024, while May 2025 wagering rose almost 11% from the previous year.
Revenue drops despite strong hold
The Keystone State’s operators still won back an impressive 11.3%, even though that was down from the previous May’s 11.6% win rate. Gross revenue reached $67.6 million, an 11.2% decline from May 2025.
Online sportsbooks accounted for $65.8 million of Pennsylvania revenue on a $571.8-million handle. Retail operators made $1.8 million from $23.8 million in wagers.
The $52.6-million taxable revenue generated $17.9 million for the state and $1 million for the local assessment fund.
FanDuel wins big
| Online Operator | May Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $199.2 million | $28.5 million |
| DraftKings | $188 million | $18.4 million |
| Fanatics | $44.1 million | $4.3 million |
| BetMGM | $41.4 million | $3.6 million |
| bet365 | $37.6 million | $4.6 million |
FanDuel remained on top in the Keystone State, generating nearly $200 million in wagers. A 14.3% hold led to $28.5 million in gross revenue, $10 million more than second-place DraftKings.
Still, DraftKings generated $188 million in bets, 37% more than the previous year. DraftKings held on to 9.8% of that handle.
Fanatics won back just under 10% on a $44.1-million handle, while BetMGM produced an 8.7% hold in May on a handle of $41.4 million. One of the state’s highest holds went to bet365, which kept 12.2% of a $37.6-million handle.
Total gaming record
Despite sports betting’s struggles, other forms of gaming helped generate the highest-grossing month in Pennsylvania history in May. Land-based casinos, iGaming, sportsbooks, fantasy sports, and video game terminals combined for a record $625.5 million, beating out January 2025’s $623.1 million.
The 3.9% year-over-year revenue increase for all gaming forms was aided greatly by a 9.4% spike in iGaming profits, which reached $254.8 million. In-person slot machines’ year-over-year revenue grew by 3.2%, while table games increased 1.7%.
The state hauled in over $269 million in tax revenue from the impressive gaming month.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
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