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House Wins Again: Pennsylvania Casinos Cover Coronavirus Losses With Internet Gambling

Despite COVID-19 restrictions and layoffs, online internet gambling in Pennsylvania returned record monthly revenues for December 2020 totaling nearly $170 million, analysts said.

Hollywood Casino Morgantown

Hollywood Casino Morgantown

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Bucks, Montgomery and Northampton counties are a few of the 10 areas recognized for their iGaming high totals, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

These highs came during a month in which retail operations at casinos and video gaming terminal (VGT) establishments "went dark" on Dec. 12, 2020, and remained closed through December because of new state COVID-19 restrictions, analysts said.

Board reports show that the combined total revenue generated from all forms of gambling along with fantasy contests during December 2020 was $168,739,237 which represents a 42 percent drop compared to revenue generated in December 2019.

Additionally, the sports wagering handle in December 2020 was the highest to date, eclipsing the prior monthly record wagered in October 2020.

Here are the locations with the highest revenue by county:

  • Hollywood Casino at Penn National, Grantville, Dauphin County ($42,430,679 up from $20,678,625 in December 2019)
  • Parx Casino, Bensalem, Bucks County ($23,328,562 down from $54,281,856 in December 2019)
  • Valley Forge Casino Resort, King of Prussia, Montgomery County ($21,726,527 up from $16,677,463 in December 2019)
  • Rivers Casino Philadelphia, Philadelphia County ($20,370,027 down from $30,394,079 in December 2019)
  • Mount Airy Casino Resort, Mount Pocono, Monroe County ($12,147,274 down from $17,422,850 in December 2019)
  • Wind Creek Bethlehem, Northampton County ($9,226,791 down from $43,644,071 in December 2019)
  • The Meadows Casino, Washington County ($9,023,260 down from $18,222,730 in December 2019 )
  • Harrah's Philadelphia, Philadelphia County ($7,468,837 down from $20,613,629 in December 2019)
  • River's Casino Pittsburgh, Allegheny County ($7,109,129 down from $33,955,608 in December 2019)
  • Mohegan Sun Pocono, Monroe County ($6,950,752 down from $18,122,836 in December 2019)
  • Presque Isle Downs and Casino, Erie County ($2,229,292 down from $10,737,220 in December 2019)
  • Live! Casino Pittsburgh, Allegheny County ($2,072,091 in December 2020)
  • Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, Fayette County ($408,618 down from $2,816,996 in December 2019)
  • Live! Casino Philadelphia, Philadelphia County ($399,578 in December 2020)
  • Hollywood Casino Morgantown, Dauphin County ($33,148 in December 2020)

The additional online gaming totals are:

  • Fantasy Contests ($3,011,755 down from $3,435,621 in December 2019)
  • Video Gaming Terminals ($802,918 down from $879,153 in December 2019)

Sources of gaming revenue regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board include slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests, and VGTs. 

To see reports of December revenue by game type, click here.

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