HARRISBURG, PA, Jan. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pennsylvania Skill, powered by Pace-O-Matic (POM), today highlighted the Pennsylvania gambling industry’s record-setting performance in 2025, as total gaming revenue reached an all-time high of $6.8 billion — a nearly 10% increase over 2024.
The historic growth was fueled by online gambling, which surged 27% year-over-year to $2.75 billion. Sports betting also posted strong gains, increasing 18% to approximately $600 million.
By comparison, brick-and-mortar casino revenue showed modest movement. Slot machine revenue totaled $2.4 billion, a marginal increase of half a percentage point from 2024, while table game revenue declined 1% to roughly $900 million.
“The data makes one thing abundantly clear: brick-and-mortar casinos are losing customers to online gambling — not skill games,” said Mike Barley, Chief Public Affairs Officer for Pace-O-Matic. “Yet here we are again congratulating the casino industry on record profits while some casino operators continue to misdirect blame toward skill games. Industry leaders know the market is changing — their own research proves it — but blaming skill games is easier than confronting the real shift happening online.”
Barley noted that state gaming revenue remained relatively flat at around $3 billion annually until 2021, when revenues rebounded sharply following the pandemic alongside the rapid expansion of iGaming.
“This history shows that casino gambling and skill games have coexisted for years,” Barley said. “If slot machine revenue has softened, the cause can be squarely attributed to the growth of internet gambling. Any claim otherwise is not supported by the facts and is intentionally misleading.”
Pennsylvania Skill emphasized that continued opposition to skill games threatens the livelihoods of thousands of small businesses and community organizations across the Commonwealth, including fraternal organizations, volunteer fire companies, veterans’ groups, and local taverns. These establishments report that skill game revenue supports jobs, pays bills, increases wages, funds facility improvements, provides health insurance, and enables charitable giving.
Skill game supporters are urging lawmakers to advance legislation that would regulate and tax skill games, generating significant revenue for the state. Senate Bill 1079, sponsored by Senators Gene Yaw and Anthony Williams, along with companion House Bill 2046, sponsored by Representatives Danilo Burgos and Jonathan Fritz, would establish a fair regulatory framework and implement a $500 monthly tax per gaming terminal.
Estimates show that regulation would generate approximately $300 million annually for the Commonwealth — providing immediate fiscal benefits while protecting small businesses and community organizations statewide.
“I hope we see monthly gambling revenue records again this year,” said Barley. “As the industry continues to exist alongside skill games.”
Jeanette Krebs Pace-O-Matic 717-418-6106 jk@krebs.solutions
