The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported a 13.8% hold for sportsbooks on gross revenue for June. The stratospheric win rate eclipsed the previous high of 12.7% set in July 2024 and was the highest in any full month of wagering, with or without online betting available. Only the 36% hold on $1.4 million worth of bets during the launch month of November 2018 was higher.
The $66.8 million in gross winnings was up 55.4% from last year as the June hold was nearly 4.6 percentage points higher than 12 months prior. It also marked the first time Pennsylvania sportsbooks attained double-digit holds in back-to-back months since August and September 2022. Handle increased 4.1% to $483.6 million, the first month below one-half billion since $485.3 million was wagered last August.
The state was eligible to levy taxes on $51.2 million in adjusted gross revenue, re-directing $17.4 million into its coffers. Tax revenue for Fiscal Year 2025 was practically flat compared to 2024 as the $165.8 million represented an increase of nearly $365,000.
That bottom line was severely impacted by the Philadelphia Eagles’ run to winning Super Bowl LIX in January and February as the $20.1 million in receipts those months was $14 million less compared to 2024.
FanDuel administers a beatdown for the ages
By now, everyone has become accustomed to FanDuel consistently recording double-digit holds to the point it is more surprising when the juggernaut has a win rate below 10%. The largest digital operator in Pennsylvania in terms of market share took it to bettors in June with an all-time high hold of 17.5% to keep $28.3 million of $162.2 million wagered.
Its previous best win rate was 15.2% back in May 2023, but high holds in June have become regular for FanDuel. It narrowly missed a 12% win rate in 2023 and ticked up to 12.1% last year. Year-over-year gross revenue, though, was “only” up 30.3% as handle dipped 9.5%.
FanDuel also remained the biggest spender for promotional play among mobile operators, offering $5.6 million in credits and bonuses. Its $52.1 million outlay the first six months of 2025 is tracking close to its overall $105.2 million spend in 2024.
Practically everyone had a good June
DraftKings gamely kept pace with its eternal rival, recording its highest hold in Pennsylvania at 13.6% in keeping $17.8 million of the $130.5 million worth of bets it accepted. It had never reached 12% in any month, with its previous high 11.6% in July 2024 and coming close to that in May at just under 11.6%.
BetMGM easily claimed third place for both revenue and handle, winning $4.3 million of the $46 million handle in crafting a 9.3% win rate. Fanatics continued to aggressively seek business, lavishing more than $3 million worth of bonuses and credits to bettors as it finished with $35 million handle. It proved good business strategy though, as Fanatics also pummeled the public with a 15.6% hold to claim $5.4 million in gross revenue and $2.4 million in taxable winnings.
When combining its Pittsburgh and Philadelphia-based numbers, BetRivers reported $2.1 million in revenue from $21.3 million handle, good for a 9.8% hold. ESPN BET can still be labeled embattled based on its lack of market share, but June marked its first back-to-back holds of 11% or better in Pennsylvania as it totaled $2.4 million in winnings from $21 million in wagers.
Additionally, its $4.2 million promo spend the first six months of 2025 was less than half the $9.1 million outlay recorded in 2024. The downside to the lighter spend is the lighter handle: The $179.6 million handle is down by 34.7%, which has contributed to revenue plunging 28.9% to just shy of $12 million.
England-based bet365 wrapped up its first year of operations in the Keystone State with a 13.2% hold, just off its high of 13.3% in September. It totaled $2.8 million in winnings from $20.9 million worth of wagers and finished Year 1 with $28.5 million in revenue against $353.6 million handle — good for an 8.1% hold.
While bet365 aggressively spent in its first eight months and totaled $24.4 million in credits and bonuses, it has slowed that spend considerably the last four. June marked an all-time low outlay of $687,116, and the spend during those four months has totaled only $3.2 million.
