Online gaming continues to see major growth and that was certainly true in February with two of the country’s biggest markets reporting record monthly totals.
Michigan and Pennsylvania both reported record numbers and New Jersey offset falling live casino numbers with significant growth in online gaming. Here’s a look at each state’s report for February.
Pennsylvania Sets New iGaming Record
Online gaming continues to boom in the Keystone State and set a monthly record in February with more than $184 million among the state’s operators, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). Overall, the board reported combined total revenue from all forms of gaming reached $499.1 million in February, a 9.3% increase from February 2023.
On the live casino front, the Hollywood at Penn National Race Course and Valley Forge were the state’s heavy hitters. Hollywood saw revenue of $92 million, up 26.7% from $72.6 million last February. Valley Forge saw revenue of $74.1 million, an increase of 20.7% of $61.4 million in 2023.
PA online gaming saw massive numbers in February with a total of almost $185 million compared to $131.6 in February 2023, a jump of 40.5%. Here’s a breakdown of that new record by game type:
- Online slots – $125.9 million
- Online table games – $56.6 million
- Online poker – $2.4 million
For PA sports betting, the state saw total handle reach $661.7 – an increase of 10.4% from last February’s $599.5 million. However, the taxable revenue figure for was $30.3 million, 30% lower than the same month in 2023. Total tax revenue from all forms of gaming was just under $205 million. Of that, online gaming produced $77.4 million.
New Jersey Sees Major Online Gaming, Sports Betting Growth
The Garden State also reported major online gaming totals in February, according to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE). Online operators saw revenue of $182.3 million, reflecting growth of 27.9% compared to $142.6 million in February 2023.
Year to date, NJ online gaming revenue was $365.6 million, an increase of 23.7% from the $295.5 million for the same period last year. Online poker stayed virtually unchanged at $2.3 million.
Live casino gaming didn’t fare as well as online wagering. The state’s nine casinos reported revenue of $211.6 million for February, a decrease of 1.6% compared to $215 million for the same month last year. Year-to-date live casino revenue stands at $416.3 million, a drop of 2.4% compared to $426.6 million in 2023.
Sports wagering, including NJ online betting, saw some big gains with gross revenue at $67.6 million for February, a 23.7% increase compared to $54.6 million in February 2023. Year to date, sports betting totaled $238.3 million, a jump of 87.7% increase compared to $127 million reported in 2023.
When it comes to overall gaming revenue, the state saw $461.5 million for February, growth of 12% from $412.2 million in 2023. Year-to-date total gaming revenue is now at just over $1 billion, a surge of 20.2% from $849.1 million last year.
Michigan Sees Highest Monthly iGaming Total to Date
The picture was a little less rosy when it comes to total online gaming in the Wolverine State. The Michigan Gaming Control Board reported operators in the state saw a combined $218.5 million in online gaming and sports betting gross receipts in February, a drop of 4.8% compared to January.
But that may not tell the whole picture. MI online gaming actually saw the highest total to date at $188 million. This tops the previous high of $181.9 million recorded last month. Gross sports betting receipts for February dropped significantly to $30.5 million, down from $47.7 million in January.
Combined total iGaming and MI online sports betting adjusted gross receipts (AGR) were $182.1 million, with $169.2 million from online gaming and $12.9 million from online sports betting. This represents an iGaming increase of 3.1% and a sports betting decrease of 31.3% compared to January. Compared to February 2023, iGaming AGR was up by 27% and sports betting was up by 52.7%. Sports betting monthly handle reached $402.6 million, down 30.3% from $577.4 million in January.
All these numbers equated to $34.7 million in taxes and payments to the state for February, including $33.8 million for online gaming and $922,324 for online sports betting. The three Detroit casinos reported paying the city $9.3 million in taxes and fees during February. Tribal operators reported making $3.9 million in payments to governing bodies.
