The good sign for Pennsylvania gamblers is that online casino gaming is on the rise. The bad sign is that PA sports betting went down again for the second straight month.
Here are three takeaways from Pennsylvania’s May sports betting and iGaming numbers:
2 PA Records in Online Gaming Promising
For Pennsylvania online casino gaming, interactive slots revenue posted a state record $67.2 million, up 7.4% from April’s $62.6 million and interactive banked table games rebounded nicely from April, registering a state record of $31.4 million, up a solid 13.4% from last month’s number of $27.68 million.These are all good signs as Pennsylvania heads into the summer. People might not be betting on sports as much, but they are continuing to keep themselves entertained and spending money.
Pennsylvania Sports Betting, May vs. April
| Total Handle | Mobile Handle | Gross Revenue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | $447.465M | $407.399M | $27.746M |
| April | $479.411M | $439.066M | $26.296M |
| Change | Down 6.7% | Down 7.2% | Up 5.5% |
Coronavirus Restrictions Eased
As the state reopens from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, look for numbers to improve dramatically over the next couple of months as brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and casinos ease restrictions for public entrance.
This means more money at the books, casinos and ancillary businesses such as restaurants, bars, tourism. You can feel it in the state and people will come out to support and spend money.
Pray for Sixers, Wait for Football
With the Philadelphia 76ers, the state's lone playoff team left, hanging on by a thread after two brutal back-to-back losses to the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals, bettors are looking for them to extend the series on Friday night to keep this month of playoff betting going.
One team, one sport cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia look for their teams to survive and move on in the playoffs. If not, the interest level in those sports might wane, because a local team got knocked out.
With the Pirates and Phillies in full swing with their baseball regular seasons and with one showing some kind of pulse, Pennsylvania bettors have already been setting their sights on the upcoming NFL seasons for the Steelers and Eagles, as well as, college football openers in August and September.
