Pennsylvania Gaming Revenue Sets Monthly Record as Gamblers Lose More Than $601 Million
In May, Pennsylvania's gaming revenue hit a new monthly record as bettors experienced historic losses.
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced that May 2025 marked the highest month ever for the state's various gaming interests.
The gross gaming revenue, or the money kept by the 17 physical casinos, iGaming sites, retail and online sportsbooks, video gaming terminals, and fantasy sports, reached over $601.8 million. This indicated a close to 16% increase compared to the previous year, equating to a variation of $80.8 million.
May became the inaugural month in Pennsylvania's gaming history where monthly revenue exceeded $600 million. The monthly record for the state was established in March with a GGR of $574.5 million.
With a total of $601.8 million, Pennsylvania's GGR for May is the third highest in the country. In the previous month, New Jersey's GGR amounted to $614.6 million. Nevada has not published its May figures yet, but they are expected to exceed $1.2 billion.
iGaming Drives Historic Achievement
May was nearly entirely favorable for eight gaming sectors in Pennsylvania — retail slots, retail tables, iGaming slots, iGaming tables, iGaming poker, sports betting, VGTs, and fantasy sports. The only exceptions were fantasy sports, where contest fees decreased by 5% to $1.1 million, retail tables, which fell by 4.5% to $79.9 million, and VGTs, which dropped by 0.08% to $3.7 million.
Retail slot earnings rose by 5% to reach $224.8 million, while bookmakers retained 34% more funds at $59.4 million. Nevertheless, it was online gaming that primarily drove the record-breaking month.
Online slots produced revenue of $177.2 million, reflecting a 40% increase compared to May 2024. Online table wins rose by 18% to reach $52.9 million. Poker rake, the fees imposed by online poker sites, increased by 21% to reach $2.7 million.
The total iGaming revenue of $232.8 million exceeded May 2024 by nearly $58.8 million, as the online sector reported GGR just above $174 million.
Skill Game Ammunition
May was undoubtedly a lucrative month for Pennsylvania’s gaming sector, yet the exceptional results might offer ammunition for skill gaming advocates aiming to obtain regulatory support for the slot-like machines.
Skill games are marketed as entertainment that is not subject to state gaming regulations since their results are not determined purely by luck. Unlike a slot machine that automatically indicates whether a player's spin is a win or loss, a skill game requires the player to recognize matching payout symbols.
State legislators are still reviewing proposals to permit skill games, typically located in restaurants, bars, convenience stores, and gas stations. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) backs the legalization of terminals to create additional tax revenue.
The casino sector has persistently urged state legislators by claiming that skill games divert patrons away from their establishments. However, with approximately 67K unregulated skill games still functioning in the commonwealth and the regulated gaming sector reporting unprecedented revenue, that assertion may diminish in significance.
