All About Pennsylvania Sports Betting Handle And Revenue

By Jim Tomlin

@jdtomlin68

March 18, 2026 01:38pm

The experts at PennStakes.com assembled this guide to explain the terms surrounding Pennsylvania sports betting financial figures. These include the terms handle, revenue, gross revenue, and tax collections. It's worth noting this doesn't encompass the entire PA online gambling market but just sports betting specifically.

The sports betting market in Pennsylvania includes retail sportsbooks at the commonwealth’s casinos as well as mobile sports betting apps.

Overall, Pennsylvania has a sweeping array of legalized gambling options. The commonwealth has legalized traditional casino gambling and online casino gambling (slots and table games); sports wagering, both in-person and online; live and internet poker; video gambling terminals at truck stops; and fantasy sports. Pennsylvania also has horse racing and the lottery but those financial results are not included in the commonwealth’s monthly gaming report. 

In sports betting language, handle is the terms for all sports wagers placed in the state during any month (or year). The handle is broken down into retail bets, placed in person, or online handle. In Pennsylvania, bettors wager hundreds of millions of dollars each month. The vast majority of those bets are placed by people using online Pennsylvania sportsbook apps via computers or mobile devices, such as smart phones.

Revenue is what is left to the gambling operators after winnings are paid out. However, many states allow deductions resulting from promotions and bonuses to customers from the revenue total before the tax rate is applied. In Pennsylvania, the taxable revenue is called Gross Revenue in the commonwealth’s financial reports. 

In Pennsylvania, sports betting Gross Revenue is taxed at a relatively high tax rate of 36% (34% state & 2% local). But operators can deduct promotions and bonuses to customers before the tax rate is applied. Retail sports gambling launched in 2018 and online sports wagering began in 2019.

Pennsylvania Sports Betting, February vs. January

The second month of the year delivered dreary results for Pennsylvania sports betting operators and regulators alike, with a 24.3% slump in total wagering handle and a 47% dive in gross wagering revenue in the Keystone State. Overall, February’s total sports betting handle was $592,462,454, down 24.3% from January ($782,423,791), with the state’s online sports betting handle finishing at $568,920,972, down 23.9% from January ($747,771,759).

During the month, Pennsylvania’s gross sports betting revenue (taxable) was $37,844,313, down 47.0% from January ($71,393,613), with mobile sports betting revenue (taxable) finishing up at $37,330,736, down 44.8% from January ($67,623,872).  

February’s state tax revenue from sports wagering was $12,867,067, down 47.0% from January ($24,273,829), while state tax revenue from mobile sports wagering was $12,692,450, down 44.8% from January ($22,992,116).  

Pennsylvania Mobile Sports Betting History