Pennsylvania collected more casino taxes than any other state in the United States in 2023, according to a new report. Conducted by Doc’s Sports Service, the study shows Pennsylvania coffers collected $2.3 billion, with New York coming in second at just over $2 billion, and Nevada at a distant third at $1.2 billion.
“Slots is taxed here at about 52% for the casinos,” said Doug Harbach, the Communications Director of the PA Gaming Control Board, as per an ABC27 report. “When you move to some other states like Vegas that are there somewhere around 6 or 8%.”
While traditional casino gaming plays its part, the rise of sports betting and online gaming are also factors contributing to the growing tax revenue.
“Pennsylvania does really, really well for sportsbooks,” said Raphael Esparza, a handicapper for Doc’s Sports Service. “I worked at MGM Mirage, New York, New York.”
Today, players are more and more replacing the visits to their casino of choice with mobile betting. While the convenience has been welcomed by gamblers, opponents warn about the potential negative consequences, noting that calls to 1-800–GAMBLER have increased and that the average age of callers has decreased.
“You can just do it on your couch,” Josh Ercole of the PA Council of Compulsive Gambling told ABC27. “You can do it while you’re at your kid’s soccer game or stuff like that. It’s pretty much really easy. It’s kind of representing that dangling carrot that I’m just one click or one decision or one guess away from that big win. And unfortunately for a lot of folks, that big win never happens.”
In the meantime, sports betting shows no signs of slowdown. Last year, the total amount of bets placed on sports reached $7.68 million. Internet casino games like slots or blackjack are also keeping up the pace. “That’s the fastest-growing segment,” said Harbach. “Most recently were national records for iGaming for revenue.”
