Behind Valley Forge Casino's $181M Bets, PA Sees Record October

UPPER MERION, PA — Coronavirus may have crippled the traditional casino experience in Pennsylvania and elsewhere around the nation, but online sports betting is thriving like never before.

Locally, FanDuel at Valley Forge Casino has played a major role in increasing revenues. The casino saw $181 million in sports gambling bets placed in October, according to new data recently released by the state. It was part of a record month for the state in which it saw $525.8 million in online sports bets all told.

Industry analysts say that Philadelphia sports fans (and Pittsburgh fans, too) are a big part of the statewide success.

“Local interest is a clear factor in the swell in betting this fall, pushing Pennsylvania to a record with a sports schedule in October that more resembled normal than any since March,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst at PlayPennsylvania.com. “Pennsylvania could conceivably catch Nevada in a matter of months to become the nation’s No. 2 market, especially if the Steelers continue to roll and the Eagles can somehow make a playoff run to spike local interest.”

Valley Forge's $181 million October was up by nearly 8 percent from its $168 million September.

The bets placed brought the casino $14.7 million in taxable revenue.

Valley Forge has been open, with precautions in place, since Montgomery County moved into the green phase of the governor's reopening plan in late June. But online bets are comprise the vast majority of all revenue here and elsewhere: statewide, $472.3 million, or 89.8 percent of all wagers in October, came online.