Pennsylvania’s first full month of legal sports betting saw punters bet a total of just over $16million at the State’s three Casinos in December.
Thursday’s report by Pennsylvania state regulators included sports betting figures from the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course near Hershey and Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh.
By comparison, neighboring New Jersey’s thriving 6-month old sportsbook industry attracted $319million in sports bets in the same month.
And this figure was more than $11million down on its total betting intake in November.
New Jersey is the state that fought hardest to have sports betting legalized by the Supreme Court. It then became the first to take a sports bet when this happen and today it has eight online sportsbooks with links to its Casinos and Racecourses – and more are on the way.
Currently in operation are DraftKings – the first to open its doors for betting -FanDuel, Play Sugarhouse, BetStars, 888sports, William Hill, PlayMGM and Caesars.
The fact that FanDuel, the NJ’s current betting market leader, and DraftKings were already established in New Jersey as the giants of the always-legal daily sports fantasy market when they opened their sportsbooks clearly helped NJ’s sports betting handle to develop rapidly.
So too did the fact that it in 2016 it was the third wealthiest state in the US by median household income.
With just three sportsbooks running and a fourth at Parx Casino in Philadelphia opening this month, Pennsylvania’s fledgling sportsbook market is unlikely to match New Jersey sometime soon.
But it will see growth – and good growth – if statistics from NJ and other states that have entered the Sportsbook market mean anything.
January should certainly see Penn State’s sports betting handle soar.
Its betting figures like those of New Jersey should definitely be better than December when pay-packets had to fund Christmas gifts and festive-season celebrations.
And let’s not forget that NFL Football is the US’s number one sport betting wise.
Let’s not forget that with the Playoffs, the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl itself all being played in January, it’s the big month for the NFL.
Reigning Super Bowl Champions Philadelphia Eagles won’t be defending their crown this year, but they did make the Conference playoffs.
