Pennsylvania became the fifth state in the post-PASPA era to surpass $40 billion in sports wagering handle after its Gaming Control Board on Wednesday reported $515.4 million worth of accepted bets for August.
The Keystone State joined neighbors New York and New Jersey, as well as Illinois and Nevada, in the select circle. Pennsylvania sportsbooks began accepting wagers in November 2018, and mobile sports betting launched the following May.
Handle peaked at $935.5 million last November, and Pennsylvania may get its chance at $1 billion this November, which has five Saturdays and Sundays.
The Philadelphia Eagles have their bye week Nov. 2, but their four games that month are against marquee opponents: Green Bay, Detroit, Dallas, and Chicago. The matchups versus the Packers and Lions are primetime games on national television, and the Nov. 29 matchup with the Bears is the day after Thanksgiving.
What would also help is the Phillies playing a Game 7 in the World Series. That is scheduled for Nov. 1.
The $5.25 billion wagered through the first eight months of 2025 is up 6.7% compared to last year. August’s action was up 6.2% versus 12 months prior.
Revenue was strong, too
Sportsbook gross winnings surged 46.4% from last year to $66.5 million, resulting in a robust 12.9% hold that ranks second all-time in the mobile era and third in 82 months of wagering. It extended a run of double-digit holds in the Keystone State to four months, with the last three 12.6% or higher.
That type of anecdotal evidence suggests plenty of bettors have been grabbing Eagles futures this summer to repeat as Super Bowl champions or perhaps wagering on season-long prop offerings for star running back Saquon Barkley.
It is also possible there are more bettors on the Phillies’ bandwagon this season as they grabbed control of the NL East. Philadelphia went 18-11 in the month of August and have already wrapped up the division title.
Sportsbooks reported $49.2 million in taxable winnings, up 63.8% from last year, with $16.7 million of that amount redirected into state coffers. Despite a strong summer of winnings, year-to-date adjusted gross revenue (AGR) is actually down 0.6%, the byproduct of the Eagles winning Super Bowl LIX in February when the house totaled just $7.5 million AGR.
FanDuel wields hammer, others contribute
Pennsylvania sports betting almost always starts with FanDuel. The juggernaut did not disappoint in August, notching a 14.5% win rate to keep $24.5 million of its $168.9 million handle.
It was the fourth straight month FanDuel’s hold topped 13.5%, and its year-to-date mark of 11.4% is tracking more than one quarter of a percentage point higher than 2024. The $220.1 million in gross revenue, though, is down 7.6% due to both the Eagles in February and chalk reaching the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four in March.
DraftKings had an unprecedented third straight month with a hold of 12.7% or higher, claiming $18.5 million in winnings against $145.7 million in accepted wagers. It also ramped up its promotional spend. The $6.4 million in credits and bonuses led the state’s 11 digital operators and was up 82.2% compared to 2024.
Fanatics stormed the podium to claim third in revenue at $5.3 million, crafting a near-13% win rate from $40.8 million worth of wagers. It was the fourth consecutive month with a 12.3% hold or better for Fanatics, whose $31.6 million in year-to-date gross winnings has already exceeded the 2024 full-year total of $29.4 million that included one month of operation by PointsBet before the changeover in February 2024.
Seven of the nine mobile sportsbooks had holds of at least 11%, with only bet365 (8.3%) and Caesars (7.2%) falling short.
