With casinos closed, online poker provides much-needed revenue for the Keystone State
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt industries nationwide, Pennsylvania has emerged as one of the few states reaping unexpected benefits from online gaming—particularly online poker. With all land-based casinos shuttered under stay-at-home orders, online poker has seen a surge in popularity, helping to offset declining revenues from traditional gambling operations.
Pennsylvania is one of only four states—alongside Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware—where online poker is fully legal. This has allowed the state to maintain a lifeline of gambling revenue at a time when other states are facing dramatic shortfalls.
According to figures reported by Rush Street Interactive, one of the state’s licensed online gaming operators, activity has skyrocketed.
“On BetRivers.com, we are seeing perhaps four or five times as many new customers signing up compared to what we would expect,” said Mattias Stetz, COO of Rush Street Interactive, in an interview with TheCenterSquare.com.
In February alone, Pennsylvania reported $254.7 million in online poker wagers, generating $9.6 million in gross revenue. That translated into $3.3 million in tax revenue for the state and $675,000 for local municipalities.
Meanwhile, online table games—including poker—saw a total of $448.8 million wagered, contributing an additional $8 million in tax revenue, with $3.1 million going to the state and $160,000 to local governments.
While the figures don’t yet match those from pre-pandemic land-based poker rooms, the increase marks a significant shift in public engagement with online gaming and may signal a long-term trend beyond the pandemic.
With its strong infrastructure already in place, Pennsylvania could become a model for how states can use online poker to diversify revenue streams and weather economic downturns.
