Pennsylvania gamblers opened the new year with a massive bang as casinos and online gaming platforms raked in $590.6 million in January, an explosive 11.6% jump from the same month last year. The surge marks the strongest January on record and shows no signs of the state’s gaming boom slowing down.
Online casino games, known as iGaming, powered much of the growth. Players wagered billions from their phones and computers, delivering $249.3 million in revenue. That figure alone beats the total gaming revenue of many smaller casino states.
Slots continued to dominate the digital space, but table games like blackjack and roulette posted double-digit gains. Operators say new game releases and bigger promotional bonuses kept players logging in all month long.
Hollywood Casino Crushes the Competition
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course near Grantville claimed the crown with $111.4 million in total revenue, a stunning 20.2% increase year-over-year. The property benefited from strong retail slot play and a surge in its online partner performance.
Valley Forge Casino Resort took second place with $105.8 million, up 8.2%. Its close location to the Philadelphia suburbs and popular iGaming brand helped drive steady traffic both on the floor and online.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia rounded out the top three. The city property generated $57.2 million, matching the statewide growth rate at 11.6%.
State Treasury Celebrates Huge Tax Win
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced that January gaming operations sent $250 million in tax revenue to state and local coffers. That single-month haul could fund major school projects or road repairs in several counties.
Slot machines still generate the largest tax chunk because of the 54% rate, while table games and iGaming face lower rates. Lawmakers who expanded gaming in 2017 point to numbers like these as proof the move paid off.
Top Performers at a Glance
Here are the five casinos that brought in the most money in January:
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National – $111.4 million (+20.2%)
- Valley Forge Casino Resort – $105.8 million (+8.2%)
- Parx Casino – $62.3 million (+6.1%)
- Rivers Casino Philadelphia – $57.2 million (+11.6%)
- Wind Creek Bethlehem – $51.9 million (+9.4%)
Retail slots and tables grew a healthy 5.8% across the state, but iGaming once again proved it is the rocket fuel pushing Pennsylvania past every other commercial gaming market except Nevada.
The Keystone State has now pulled in more than $6 billion in total gaming tax revenue since online casinos launched in 2019. Residents see the money show up in property-tax relief, economic development funds, and local host community projects every year.
Players and operators alike say the mix of big land-based resorts and easy mobile access keeps money flowing. With new sports-betting seasons heating up and fresh online slots dropping weekly, February could come close to matching or beating this record start.
Pennsylvania’s gaming surge shows everyday people are still ready to play, whether they walk through casino doors or tap an app at home. The $590 million January haul proves the industry has become a powerhouse that benefits schools, roads, and communities across the state.
