Pennsylvania handle tops $500 million again

• Pennsylvania sportsbooks accepted $509.5 million in wagers during July 2026, a 23.53% increase from a year earlier.
• Taxable sports wagering revenue reached $51.8 million, up 27.75% year-over-year, as gross hold climbed to 12.7% during the FIFA World Cup’s knockout rounds.
• Valley Forge Casino Resort led Pennsylvania casinos with $167.14 million in handle and $21.13 million in sports wagering revenue.

Pennsylvania sportsbooks accepted a $509.5 million handle in July, a 23.53% increase from $412.5 million a year earlier, a month that coincided with the FIFA World Cup’s knockout rounds.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported taxable sports wagering revenue of $51.8 million for the month, up 27.75% from July 2025.

World Cup lifts hold

Covers.com attributed July’s stronger margin partly to favorable World Cup knockout-round results, noting that bettor-friendly outcomes during June’s group stage had held the statewide win rate below 9%, the lowest since September 2025. Online sportsbooks fared even better, producing a 12.8% hold for the month.

Covers calculated a 12.7% gross hold, implying about $64.8 million in gross revenue on the month’s handle. That figure differs from the PGCB’s official taxable sports wagering revenue of $51.84 million, which reflects deductions for promotional credits taken before the state’s taxable base is calculated.

Pennsylvania’s handle has now topped $500 million for 12 consecutive months, according to Covers, a run that shows how central sports wagering has become to the state’s gambling economy.

Casino by casino

PGCB’s licensee-level results put Valley Forge Casino Resort first among Pennsylvania casinos, with $167.14 million in handle and $21.13 million in sports wagering revenue, a 36.59% increase from July 2025.

Hollywood Casino at the Meadows followed with $166.03 million in handle and $14.38 million in revenue.

Separately, Covers’ brand-level analysis showed FanDuel leading online sportsbook brands with a $165.7 million handle and roughly $25.4 million in gross revenue on a 15.3% hold, up nearly $7 million from June. DraftKings posted an 11.8% hold on a $163.8 million handle for its most profitable month since April.

Fanatics posted a hold above 11% on a $35.2 million handle, worth $3.9 million. BetMGM’s 12.5% hold produced $4.4 million on a similarly sized handle, and bet365 rounded out the top five online brands with an 11.5% hold on a $32.2 million handle.

State revenue climbs

Sports wagering was one bright spot in a broader month of growth for Pennsylvania gaming.

Total revenue across slots, table games, iGaming, sports wagering, video gaming terminals and fantasy contests reached $591.1 million in July, up 5.99% from $557.7 million in July 2025, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said. Online casino revenue climbed 9.09% to $249 million, and the state collected $256.8 million in total tax revenue, including $18.66 million tied directly to sports wagering.

Neighboring states saw a similar bump. New Jersey sportsbooks posted a 30% revenue jump of their own in July. New York’s mobile operators reported a record July haul too, with both states crediting the World Cup for the lift.

With the World Cup final now decided, Pennsylvania operators face a different test heading into autumn. The NFL season kicks off in September, and sustaining elevated hold rates once football replaces international soccer as the primary driver of handle may show whether July’s numbers mark a turning point or a one-off boost tied to the tournament calendar.