Pennsylvania sports betting reached a new high for wagers in January, despite the fact that there was less football on which to bet.
PA sportsbooks took more than $348 million in wagers last month, up from a previous high of $342.5 million. While the growth seems relatively low, it’s important to note that there are a lot fewer college football and NFL games in January, which would normally result in lower sports betting handle.
But the PA market is still growing, and January’s numbers are a sign of that.
The state’s sportsbooks saw $31.6 million in gross revenue from those bets in January.
DraftKings, FanDuel pace PA sports betting growth
Most of the growth can be attributed to DraftKings Sportsbook, which opened its virtual doors in November. After taking about $36 million in wagers in December, it jumped to $58.6 million in online wagers last month.
FanDuel Sportsbook is still the biggest online sportsbook in the state, responsible for $153 million in bets in the month. DraftKings is now neck and neck for the No. 2 position in the state for online bets alongside BetRivers, the app from Rivers casinos in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
About 89% of all wagers in PA sports betting were placed online. That is a remarkable growth curve for a state that opened its mobile wagering market less than a year ago.
There also are fewer PA online sportsbooks than in neighboring New Jersey. The Garden State features 16 online books.
