A year of unprecedented challenges for the retail casino industry yielded a year of incredible growth for legal online casinos. December’s monthly revenue reports saw New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia all post their best revenue-earning months of 2020.
Combined online casino and poker revenue nearly hit the $100 million mark for New Jersey in December. The arrival of BetMGM in Pennsylvania helped boost the Keystone State to 20% growth month-to-month.
The December revenue mark in Pennsylvania set a new monthly record for the state. The true potential for the US online casino industry emerged in the latter half of 2020, setting the stage for even more potential growth in 2021.
New Jersey Online Casino Revenue December 2020*
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | December 2020 Revenue | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Nugget Atlantic City | Golden Nugget, Betfair, SugarHouse, BetAmerica | $29,438,736 | +13.1% | $318,865,531 | +80.1% |
| Borgata Hotel Casino | Borgata, BetMGM, PartyCasino, Pala Casino | $26,086,630 | +14.8% | $198,395,904 | +173.1% |
| Resorts Digital Gaming | Resorts, Mohegan Sun, PokerStars Casino, DraftKings Casino | $20,244,839 | 0.0% | $195,808,536 | +110.2% |
| Caesars Interactive | Caesars, Harrah’s, 888 Casino, Wynn | $7,728,293 | +8.6% | $78,409,811 | +68.8% |
| Tropicana Casino & Resort | Tropicana, Virgin Casino, William Hill | $5,997,826 | -1.8% | $70,090,968 | +56.5% |
| Hard Rock Atlantic City | Hard Rock, Unibet, Bet365 | $5,801,008 | -7.5% | $59,644,690 | +164.7% |
| Ocean Casino Resort | Ocean Online Casino, Parx Casino | $1,132,680 | +19.5% | $10,319,801 | +101.5% |
| Totals | $96,430,012 | +7.8% | $931,535,241 | +101.7% |
*Revenue figures do not include online poker.
New Jersey’s Online Casinos Finish Up 2020 At An All-Time High
New Jersey online casinos posted the most successful month yet for the market in the final month of 2020. Mobile casinos brought in more than $96.4 million in revenue, setting a new record for monthly earnings.
The previous record came just two months ago, with online casinos in the Garden State showing a slight dip in revenue the following month. New Jersey’s mobile casino platforms resumed the upward trend in December, however, gaining 7.8% month-to-month.
The record-setting year ends with New Jersey online casinos earning $931.5 million in revenue for 2020. That marks a 101.7% increase over 2019.
Online casino gaming came up just short of a $1 billion revenue year. The Borgata license (Borgata, BetMGM, PartyCasino, Pala Casino) continues to steadily chip away at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City license (Golden Nugget, Betfair, SugarHouse, BetAmerica) in the battle for top market share by operator in the state.
The December numbers released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement can be viewed here.
New Jersey Online Poker Revenue December 2020
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | December 2020 Revenue | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caesars Interactive | WSOP, 888 | $1,174,943 | +22.6% | $16,399,275 | +84.9% |
| Borgata Hotel Casino | Borgata, partypoker NJ, BetMGM, Pala Poker | $1,071,071 | +52.7% | $9,791,491 | +91.9% |
| Resorts Digital Gaming | PokerStars NJ | $774,039 | +5.1% | $12,611,564 | +81.2% |
| Totals | $3,020,053 | +26.0% | $38,802,330 | +85.3% |
New Jersey’s online poker sites ended the year on an up note, showing a 26% gain month-to-month against November revenue. Caesars Interactive realized a boost in December, fueled by the World Series of Poker Main Event offering online play for the first time.
The Borgata license enjoyed 52.7% month-to-month growth, bolstered by the World Poker Tour Online Poker Open. With the immediate future of live poker uncertain in the COVID-19 era, US-facing legal poker sites should continue to host major festivals well into 2021.
State-regulated poker sites in New Jersey ended 2020 at the $38.8 million mark in revenue earned, marking an 85.3% increase over 2019.
Pennsylvania Online Casino Revenue December 2020*
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | December 2020 Revenue | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers Casino Philadelphia | SugarHouse, BetRivers | $19,344,602 | +16.7% | $162,582,261 |
| Penn National DraftKings Casino | DraftKings Casino | $13,743,894 | +18.1% | $66,415,685 |
| Valley Forge Casino Resort | FanDuel Casino | $11,164,102 | +7.5% | $95,271,347 |
| Penn National BetMGM | BetMGM | $5,731,621 | N/A | $5,731,621 |
| Parx Casino | Parx Casino | $5,022,144 | -15.1% | $61,872,244 |
| Mount Airy Casino Resort | PokerStars Casino | $4,267,441 | +8.6% | $47,861,923 |
| Penn National Hollywood Casino | Hollywood Casino | $4,045,720 | -0.4% | $50,430,837 |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono | Unibet | $3,077,063 | +25.6% | $25,428,142 |
| Harrah’s Philadelphia | Caesars | $1,328,778 | -12.8% | $7,890,773 |
| Wind Creek Bethlehem | Wind Creek Casino | $590,988 | +65.3% | $2,354,776 |
| Live! Casino Philadelphia | PlayLive! Casino | $399,578 | +35.9% | $1,101,439 |
| Presque Isle Down and Casino | BetAmerica | $163,599 | -32.5% | $3,009,783 |
| Totals | $68,879,530 | +20.1% | $529,950,831 |
*Revenue figures do not include online poker.
Pennsylvania Online Casinos Shatter Revenue Records In December
A 12th online casino (BetMGM) entered the Pennsylvania market in December, while the state’s top established brands pushed the state’s mobile gaming industry to new heights.
Online casinos in Pennsylvania took in $68.87 million in revenue for December. That figure marks a 20.1% increase over November, which represented the previous monthly high for online casinos in the Keystone State.
Rivers Philadelphia ($19.34 million) maintained the top spot as the highest-earning license in the state. Penn National Gaming’s trio of licenses (DraftKings Casino, Hollywood Casino, BetMGM), however, yielded combined revenue ($23.52 million) that made Penn National the top revenue-earning operator in the state in December.
December marked the first time Penn National overtook Rivers Philadelphia for top market share in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board monthly revenue roundup reports Penn National’s trio of online casino skins under separate licenses.
BetMGM debuted in Pennsylvania on Dec. 4, taking the No. 4 spot in monthly revenue. The success of the launch points to BetMGM playing a major role in the Pennsylvania market in 2021.
Pennsylvania Online Poker Revenue December 2020
| Retail Operator | Online Skin | December 2020 Revenue | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Airy Casino Resort | PokerStars PA | $2,729,729 | +13.3% | $35,864,492 |
PokerStars PA ended a steady year of 2020 earnings as the state’s only regulated online poker site. The platform brought in just under $2.73 in earnings for December, marking a 13.3% month-to-month increase.
Both 888 and partypoker will enter the Pennsylvania market eventually, as Pennsylvania will join New Jersey as the only states with multiple regulated online poker sites. PokerStars Pennsylvania brought in $35.86 million in annual revenue for 2020, the first full year of operations for the site.
West Virginia Online Casino Revenue December 2020
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | December 2020 Revenue* | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races | DraftKings Casino | $1,406,462 | +23.0% | $5,483,763 |
| The Greenbrier | BetMGM | $1,133,659 | +24.0% | $3,355,666 |
| Totals | $2,540,121 | +23.5% | $8,839,429 |
*total revenue figures for weeks ending in December 2020
**total revenue figures for weeks ending in 2020
Mountain State Mobile Casinos Continue To Climb
The duo of legal West Virginia online casinos continues to battle for market share. The Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races license (which includes DraftKings Casino) took the top spot in West Virginia for the fifth straight month, achieving a new monthly high with just over $1.4 million in revenue.
The Greenbrier license, which offers BetMGM, also hit a new benchmark, going over the $1 million mark in monthly revenue for the first time. Golden Nugget online casino will eventually join the West Virginia market under The Greenbrier’s license, as the state’s mobile casino industry steadily expands.
The weekly revenue reports from the West Virginia Lottery can be viewed here.
Delaware Online Casino Revenue December 2020
| Online Operator | Online Skins | December 2020 Revenue | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 888 Casino | Delaware Park, Dover Downs, Harrington | $662,464 | +24.6% | $7,808,083 | +138.1% |
Delaware Online Poker Revenue December 2020
| Online Operator | Online Skins | December 2020 Revenue | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 888 Poker | Delaware Park, Dover Downs, Harrington | $36,014 | -1.3% | $639,939 | +120% |
Annual iGaming Revenue More Than Doubles In Delaware
A year of unprecedented growth for Delaware’s legal online gambling sites ended with an upswing for monthly mobile casino revenue. December saw a 24.6% increase in month-to-month revenue for the 888-powered Delaware online casino platform.
All three online casinos and poker skins (Delaware Park, Dover Downs, Harrington) share the same 888 network. Online casino revenue rose 138.1% year-to-year, while online poker revenue increased 120%.
The monthly revenue breakdown from the Delaware Lottery can be viewed here.
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