Pennsylvania Sports Betting News
Monthly handle and revenue reports, operator launches, legal updates, and promotional changes from the Pennsylvania sports betting market.
Pennsylvania FY25-26 Tracks to $8.7B+ Annual Handle After 10-Month Total Hits $7.28B
Year-to-date PGCB figures through April 2026 show $7.28 billion in handle and $196.9 million in state tax revenue across the first 10 months of fiscal year 2025-26 — putting PA on a trajectory to clear $8.7 billion for the full fiscal year and approach the calendar-year record set in 2025.
bet365 Posts $495M Handle in First Full PA NFL Season at Hollywood Morgantown
Hollywood Casino Morgantown — the PA home license for bet365 — recorded $495.3 million in total handle across July 2025 to April 2026, with November 2025 peaking at $63.5 million. The European-headquartered operator has emerged as a meaningful PA license home in less than two years.
PA Sportsbook Promotional Spending Peaked at $42M in September 2025 as NFL Season Launched
PGCB data shows PA operators spent $42.0 million in promotional credits during September 2025 — the highest single-month total of the fiscal year. Across the 10-month YTD window, operators have deployed $223.8 million in PA-specific marketing, with NFL-season months absorbing the bulk of the spend.
Pennsylvania April 2026 Handle: $641.6M, $20.0M in State Taxes as Sports Calendar Cools
PGCB reports show April 2026 handle of $641.6 million — down 12% from March as the NCAA Tournament wrapped and the major US sports calendar entered its quietest stretch before MLB volume builds. FY25-26 year-to-date handle now stands at $7.28 billion across the first 10 months of the fiscal year.
PA Gambling Industry Spent $8.1M in 2026 GOP Senate Primaries to Defend Tax Status Quo
Spotlight PA reporting shows skill-games and sports-betting interests poured a combined $8.1 million into three Republican state Senate primaries; and all three industry-favored incumbents survived.
HB 2497 Filed: Pennsylvania Moves to Tax Prediction Markets at 22% Plus $1M License Fee
A bipartisan group of Democratic House members introduced HB 2497 in the Gaming Oversight Committee on May 8, proposing a 20% state tax, a 2% local-share assessment, and a $1 million annual license fee on prediction-market operators.
Pennsylvania January 2026 Handle: $782.4M, $24.27M in State Taxes
PGCB reports show January 2026 was the third-largest January handle in PA history, driven by NFL Conference Championships and the Super Bowl run-up.
Pennsylvania Sets All-Time Monthly Handle Record at $990.6M (November 2025)
November 2025 marks the highest single-month wagering volume in Pennsylvania sports betting history.
Pennsylvania Joins Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement
Governor Shapiro signed PA into MSIGA, opening the door to multi-state online poker liquidity sharing.
bet365 Goes Live in Pennsylvania (Recap)
European powerhouse bet365 received PGCB approval and launched via Hollywood Casino Morgantown.
Fanatics Sportsbook Launches in Pennsylvania (Recap)
Fanatics completed its acquisition of PointsBet US assets and brought its FanCash-powered sportsbook to PA via Valley Forge Casino Resort.
Unibet Pennsylvania Closes Operations (Recap)
Kindred Group's Unibet brand exited the Pennsylvania market in 2023, citing strategic refocus on European operations.
About PGCB Handle Reports
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board publishes monthly sports betting handle, gross gaming revenue, and tax revenue figures by the third week of each following month. Reports are broken down by operator and include retail vs online splits.
PA Sports Betting Market Size
- FY25-26 YTD Handle (10 months, July 2025 – April 2026): $7.28 billion
- FY25-26 YTD State Tax: $196.9 million
- Most Recent Month (April 2026): $641.6M handle, $20.0M state tax
- Record Single Month: November 2025 — $990.6M handle
- 2025 Calendar Year Handle: $8.86 billion
- US Market Rank: Top-5 by handle (NJ, NY, IL, OH, PA)
Major Industry Milestones
- Oct 30, 2017: HB 271 signed by Governor Wolf
- May 14, 2018: PASPA repealed by US Supreme Court
- Nov 17, 2018: First retail sportsbook (Hollywood Casino at Penn National)
- May 28, 2019: First online sportsbook (SugarHouse, now BetRivers)
- Nov 2023: theScore Bet rebrands to ESPN BET
- 2024: Fanatics Sportsbook, bet365, and Hard Rock Bet launch
- Oct 2024: PA joins Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA)
- Nov 2025: Record $990.6M monthly handle
- Apr 2026: $641.6M handle, $20.0M state tax
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does the PGCB publish handle reports?
Monthly. Handle, gross gaming revenue, and tax-paid figures are published by the third week of the following month at gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov.
What is PA's record monthly handle?
November 2025 set the all-time PA monthly handle record at $990.6 million, generating $33.4 million in state tax revenue.
Has any operator left the PA market?
Yes. Unibet (Kindred Group) exited PA in 2023 as part of Kindred's broader US withdrawal. theScore Bet rebranded to ESPN BET in 2023. FOX Bet exited the US market in 2023.
When was the most recent operator launch in PA?
Hard Rock Bet relaunched in PA in 2024. bet365 launched in mid-2024. Fanatics Sportsbook launched in early 2024 (post-PointsBet acquisition).