Clicky

Pa. iLottery Rakes In $21.6 Million in Its First Month - PennsylvaniaCasinos.com News : PennsylvaniaCasinos.com News
PA_Lottery
Published on
Update on
Author

Despite complaints from the Keystone State’s casinos, the state’s iLottery has managed to move past all its obstacles while at the same time earning a whopping $21.6 million in its first month of operation. According to the Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania’s iLottery program garnered the said amount between the time it went live on June 4 and June 30. During this period, the iLottery is also reported to have distributed prizes worth a mind-boggling $18.7 million and signed close to 45,000 players.

“PA iLottery games are a fun, new way to play and win from home or while on the go. iLottery is a big part of our effort to meet our players where they already are while generating new funds to benefit older Pennsylvanians,” said Department of Revenue Communications Director, Jeffrey Johnson.

Mr. Johnson believes that the iLottery program has all the right qualities and will, therefore, be a major asset to both state coffers and government programs.

Marketing Changes

While the new iLottery program is certainly a huge contributor to the state’s financial bottom line, not everyone in the state is too happy about it. This became much clearer after the state’s casinos protested against the iLottery program arguing that it had violated Pennsylvania state laws that give the casinos exclusive rights to offer slot and casino-style games – apparently, the iLottery website has been promoting over a dozen slot games.

“Overall, the games essentially have the same backbone as a slot machine; an outcome that is determined by a random number generator with animated graphics and computer operations used to provide a visual depiction of that outcome,” Mark Stewart, a lawyer representing the 12 casinos, wrote in a letter that was addressed to Daniel Hassel, the State Revenue Secretary. “In virtually every way imaginable, lottery’s iLottery program mimics a casino operation’s simulated casino-style games.”

PennLive reported that, initially, the state’s officials were rather reluctant when it came to taking up the legal challenge. The state’s gaming expansion laws that were introduced in October 2017 require the state-run lottery, which is responsible for the iLottery, to give a portion of its proceeds to programs that help senior citizens. At the time when the gambling expansion law was being signed into law, the state’s lawmakers argued that the state-run lottery also needed to be able to offer online games so that it would compete well with the state’s casinos and therefore continue funding such programs as the senior citizen help program.

Mark Stewart’s letter apparently struck the right nerves as after it was sent, it was confirmed that the iLottery had effectively stopped using the terms “casino-style” and “slot-style” in its advertising and promotional material. Even so, the iLottery’s operations did not take a hit and the numbers are definitely proof of this.

Latest Headlines

Online Gambling and Credit Card Debt Amid Pennsylvania’s Growth Streak

Pennsylvania State Senator Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) is advocating for stricter regulations on online gambling payment options, citing concerns about rising credit card debt among players. Now that online gaming and sports betting have joined Pennsylvania’s traditional brick-and-mortar casinos as part of the state’s gaming expansion, Fontana is spearheading a legislative effort to revise the regulations […]

Supremeland Makes US Market Debut with Pennsylvania License

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has granted an interim license to Supremeland, a prominent gaming provider, allowing it to join the US market for the first time. This interim license is a common step in obtaining a license in the lucrative Keystone State gaming market. Supremeland joins the ranks of other successful applicants who […]

Pennsylvania Shatters Records with $5.7 Billion in 2023 Gambling Revenue

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced a record-breaking $5.7 billion in revenue for the state of Pennsylvania in 2023, marking an important milestone for the gaming sector in the Keystone State. The astounding figure represents a substantial increase of 9.3 percent from the prior year and is complemented by a record-breaking tax income of 2.34 […]

Pennsylvania’s Unexpected November Revenue Trends

Data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board shows that in December 2023, the state’s gaming income took a surprising nosedive, mostly due to decreased sports betting operations. Despite a general upward trend in gaming income over the preceding several months and even years, the sector suffered its first year-over-year loss since February 2021 in November, […]

PA Sports Betting Posts Record-Breaking Performance in October

October saw a staggering increase in Pennsylvania’s sports betting handle, reaching an amazing $829.0 million. This mind-boggling sum was a notable 4.0% rise from the prior peak of $797.1 million, boosting the industry to an all-time high. A substantial 18.8% year-on-year gain in sports betting income, reaching $48.2 million, was propelled by the recent spike […]

Similar Stories in Gambling

Supremeland Makes US Market Debut with Pennsylvania License

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has granted an interim license to Supremeland, a prominent gaming provider, allowing it to join the US market for the first time. This interim license is a common step in obtaining a license in the lucrative Keystone State gaming market. Supremeland joins the ranks of other successful applicants who […]

Pennsylvania Shatters Records with $5.7 Billion in 2023 Gambling Revenue

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced a record-breaking $5.7 billion in revenue for the state of Pennsylvania in 2023, marking an important milestone for the gaming sector in the Keystone State. The astounding figure represents a substantial increase of 9.3 percent from the prior year and is complemented by a record-breaking tax income of 2.34 […]

Caesars Palace Online Casino Makes a Mark in Pennsylvania

Caesars has released a fresh initiative to strengthen its position in the expanding market of Pennsylvania online casinos. In its new guise as Caesars Palace Online Casino, the company hopes to compete with other top providers in Pennsylvania. Not just in Pennsylvania, but throughout the country, industry behemoths like DraftKings, BetMGM, and FanDuel have a […]

Pennsylvania Gaming Industry Reaches New Revenue Milestone

During the fiscal year 2022-2023, the gaming sector in Pennsylvania was on a phenomenal growth trajectory, setting multiple new revenue records. These milestones are reflective of the growing gambling market in the state. The PGCB reported record-breaking gaming revenue of $5.51 billion for the fiscal year. This figure represents a considerable rise of 10.0% above […]