Gaming revenue in Pennsylvania hit a new peak for the third straight year. 

On Friday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) disclosed the December figures for the state’s 17 physical casinos, iGaming, sports wagering, truck stop video gaming machines, and fantasy sports. Total revenue from the sectors reached $533 million to conclude the exceptional year. 

As per a count conducted by Casino.org, the total gross gaming revenue (GGR) in the state for 2024 reached an unprecedented level of over $6.13 billion. The outcome indicates a 7.7% increase compared to the previous year, amounting to $440 million. 

For eight months of the year, GGR exceeded half a billion dollars, with November at the forefront at $562.3 million. November marked the most successful month ever for Pennsylvania’s numerous gaming operators. 

The $6.13 billion total places Pennsylvania in third for 2024 GGR, trailing Nevada and New Jersey. Nevada has not yet disclosed the gaming figures for December, but as of November, GGR was nearly $14 billion. New Jersey’s annual revenue reached $6.3 billion. 

Web Fuels Expansion 

Pennsylvania’s gaming industry is more robust than ever, and the state generated more tax revenue last year than it has at any point since legalizing slot machines in 2006. 

The state's legacy gaming sector, however, experienced a slowdown in revenue last year. Retail gaming, or winnings earned on physical casino floors, slowed down in 2024, with GGR dropping 1.5% from $3.43 billion to $3.38 billion. 

The nearly 8% year-over-year increase in gaming revenue was mainly driven by iGaming. 

Revenue from online casino gambling, including poker rake, reached $2.17 billion. That represented a 25% increase compared to 2024 — an approximate variance of $439.8 million. 

In 2024, Pennsylvania's iGaming revenue for the first time surpassed $2 billion. December wrapped up the year positively, with online casinos earning nearly $223.6 million from remote bettors. 

Oddsmakers indicated revenue exceeding $510.7 million from online and in-person wagers, reflecting an 11% increase from 2023, when the books earned $458.6 million from gamblers. For the first time in a year, sportsbooks earned more than half a billion dollars. 

Revenue from VGTs at truck stops remained stable, with the $41.5 million in 2024 GGR reflecting a 0.7% rise, or $288,539. Fantasy sports operators earned approximately $18.7 million in commissions, which is a bit lower than the $20 million obtained in 2023. 

The only two sectors that showed year-over-year declines in GGR were online fantasy sports and in-person casino revenue. 

Additional Gaming? 

The PGCB regulates every type of gaming in the commonwealth except for the Pennsylvania Lottery. In 2017, the state expanded gaming by approving more physical casinos, referred to as satellite or mini-casinos, which are permitted to operate up to 750 slot machines and 30 live dealer table games. 

The 2017 expansion plan also featured iGaming, VGTs, and fantasy sports. The legislation also established the legal basis for sports betting if a federal prohibition on such gambling were abolished — which occurred by the U.S. Supreme Court the next May. 

In 2025, the PGCB’s regulatory authority may broaden to cover skill games, which are contentious slot-like gray games that both the casino sector and the state’s attorney general argue are illegal gambling. Legislation is anticipated to revisit the idea of creating a legal framework for the games often referred to as Pennsylvania Skill.