Pennsylvania Sports Betting Handle Downtrend Continues in March

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Keystone State sportsbooks have failed to record a year-over-year wagering increase in the first three months of 2026.

Key Takeaways

• Pennsylvania’s sports betting handle fell from $842.8 million last March to $730.8 million this year.
• This March was much more profitable for sportsbooks.
• Promotional credits were up from the Super Bowl month.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported a 13.3% handle decrease in March, which followed a 14.4% dropoff in January and a 21.7% year-over-year dip in February. The $730.8-million handle during March fell from the $842.8 million generated in the same month in 2025.

The latest decrease came during one of the busiest sports months of the year, especially in non-football months. In a month highlighted by the NCAA and conference basketball tournaments, Pennsylvania's online and retail sports betting operators had eclipsed $800 million in handles in each of the last two years.

Keystone State operators haven’t topped an $800-million handle since December 2025, which had marked the fourth straight month they reached that benchmark.

Revenue rises

Pennsylvania gross revenue of $67.7 million, however, increased 37% year over year for online and retail sports betting operators. It’s the third March in the last four years that sportsbook revenue reached $60 million.

More upsets and fewer No. 1 seeds advancing to the Final Four compared to 2025 produced the profit surge. The 9.3% hold was up from the 5.8% produced in the previous March, and the average win rate for the first three months of 2026 remained over 10%.

Sports betting operators paid out $16.3 million to the state from the $47.8 million in taxable revenue.

FanDuel stays on top

Pennsylvania online sports betting accounted for $700.6 million of the total handle, over $100 million less than the previous March, and nearly $65 million of the gross revenue. Promotional credits rose from $16.6 million during the Super Bowl month to $19.8 million during the March Madness one.

FanDuel was one of the few online operators to turn a double-digit hold during March. The sportsbook generated $26 million in gross revenue from a $241.8-million handle, both state highs for the month.

DraftKings finished second with a $210.3-million handle and used a 9.1% hold to record $19.1 million in monthly profit. Fanatics failed to produce a 7% win rate on a $63.9-million handle.

BetMGM won back 8.1% of $51.9 million in wagers, while bet365’s 10.3% hold led to $4.6 million in gross revenue, $1.5 million more than in February.

iGaming revenue spikes

iGaming generated $254.7 million in revenue in March, a 6.9% year-over-year increase, up from February’s $239.9 million. Revenue for total gaming, which also includes in-person slots, table games, online poker, video gaming terminals, and fantasy sports, reached $602.4 million, a nearly 5% spike from March 2025.

The Keystone State collected $259.2 million in gaming taxes, more than double the state’s February tax cut.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.