Pennsylvania Sports Betting Revenue Falls in August 2026

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Tue Sep 22, 2026, 8:00 am ET

Read Time: 3 minutes

Pennsylvania Sports Betting Revenue Falls in August 2026

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Pennsylvania sports betting revenue fell sharply in August 2026 despite another month of substantial wagering activity. The state's sportsbooks accepted $498.5 million in wagers during the month. That figure represented a 3.29% decline from the $515.4 million recorded in August 2025.

However, taxable sports wagering revenue dropped much further. Pennsylvania sportsbooks generated $39.36 million in taxable revenue, down 19.92% year over year. The results highlight a weaker month for US online sportsbooks as the summer sports calendar wound down.

Pennsylvania Sports Betting Handle Falls 3.29%

The August handle marked Pennsylvania's first monthly total below $500 million since July 2025. Online sportsbooks accounted for $476.9 million of the overall handle, according to Covers. Retail sportsbooks contributed the remainder of the wagering volume.

The revenue decline was considerably larger than the handle decrease. Covers reported a 10.1% overall sportsbook hold for August, compared with 12.9% during August 2025. Therefore, operators retained less revenue from each dollar wagered than they did one year earlier.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported $37.59 million in online sports wagering revenue. Retail sportsbooks added another $1.78 million, producing $39.36 million statewide. Sports wagering generated approximately $14.17 million in tax revenue during August.

FanDuel and DraftKings Lead Pennsylvania Online Betting

The two major operators, FanDuel and DraftKings, continued to control much of Pennsylvania's online sportsbook market. FanDuel recorded $167.7 million in August handle and generated $19.1 million in revenue. DraftKings followed with $158.4 million in handle and $14.6 million in revenue.

Together, the two operators accounted for 68.4% of Pennsylvania's online handle. Fanatics ranked third with $35.7 million in wagers and $4.4 million in revenue. BetMGM and bet365 followed with $31.9 million and $26.3 million in handle, respectively.

Operator performance also varied considerably across the state. Presque Isle Downs posted a 35.8% increase in sports wagering revenue. Meanwhile, Parx Casino's revenue declined 63.5% from August 2025.

Sports Calendar Weighs on August Betting

The sports calendar also influenced Pennsylvania's year-over-year comparison. August 2026 followed heavy betting activity during June and July, when the FIFA World Cup boosted wagering. However, that tournament activity did not continue into August.

College football also started later than it did in August 2025. Reports also noted that the previous August ended with a full slate of college football games. In 2026, only a limited Week Zero schedule appeared during the month.

As a result, MLB, NFL preseason games and limited college football provided the primary sports betting opportunities. That calendar produced less wagering activity than the previous year's August schedule.

Pennsylvania Gambling Market Posts Mixed Results

The wider Pennsylvania gambling market also experienced a mixed August. Total gaming revenue reached $569.7 million, down 2.16% from $582.3 million in August 2025. Sports wagering and retail table games both recorded significant declines.

Retail table games revenue fell 18.09% to $66.4 million. Retail slots also declined, although their 1.26% decrease was considerably smaller. Meanwhile, online casino gaming continued to grow.

iGaming generated $245.7 million during August, representing a 6.25% year-over-year increase. Online slots revenue climbed 8.84% to $195.2 million, helping offset some weakness across retail gaming and sports betting.

Therefore, August produced a clear split across Pennsylvania's gambling sectors. Sports betting revenue declined nearly 20%, while online casino gaming continued to expand.

For US online sportsbooks, the August results also show how strongly monthly revenue can depend on sports calendars and operator hold. Pennsylvania still attracted nearly half a billion dollars in wagers. 

However, lower wagering volume and a weaker hold resulted in substantially less taxable revenue than one year earlier.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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