Powering Through: The Story Behind Pennsylvania’s Record iTables Miss in January

The weather wasn't the only thing behaving weirdly in Pennsylvania last month. Despite historical snowfall across most of the state, and nearly two feet in some, the state posted slightly increased land based casino revenue numbers with retail slot numbers at 192 million up 3% and retail table games climbing 2% to $72.6 million. Which is a bit counterintuitive, but gamblers find a way.

Generally, with days long travel bans on almost all roads in eastern Pennsylvania and a stay at home order in several  major cities one might have expected a slightly different outcome for brick and mortar properties. But the real weirdness lies in the iGaming numbers.

While a 15.5% increase in year over year revenue numbers sounds respectable, it is actually one of the lowest growth numbers in years for iGaming in the Keystone State. And while the online slots gained a respectable 24.1%, the state saw its first ever significant decline in online table game revenue, down more than 9% year over year and 11%  from the previous month. In a blizzard. When half the state was trapped at home with nothing to do.

The numbers get a bit stranger still at the operator level. Hollywood Casino which hosts the skins for DraftKings and BetMGM was off $2.7 million in table games revenue for January from $23.5 million down to $20.8. Valley Forge, which hosts FanDuel saw online table games revenue plunge a heart stopping $3.3 million or more than 20% from $16.3 million to $13 million. Yet, Harrah’s Philadelphia which hosts Caesar’s Digital grew their revenue $1.2 million or more than 50%.

But that asymmetry likely tells the story. We see only a few percentage differences in online slot revenue month over month between operators, which tells us the story is about those studios and not simple competitive pressures. Live dealer studios require staffing, power, and continuous surveillance coverage. Pennsylvania in fact mandates it, meaning any network or power interruption can force an entire studio dark. Hollywood and Valley Forge apparently felt that pain. Caesars, operating its co-branded Evolution studio, apparently did not.

That studio opened in January of 2025 to considerable industry fanfare, part of a wave of in-state live dealer buildouts designed to reduce latency and procedural differences while strengthening the Caesars Brand. Nobody was thinking of a blizzard stress test, but when it happened it would appear that Caesars had the superior infrastructure and contingency planning to come out on top.

Or perhaps it came down to a simple matter of geography. Perhaps they were in a block where the lights didn’t go out. Whatever the case, those differences will be worth watching the next time the weather gets ugly in the Keystone State.

It’s a strange competitive advantage to stumble into. In an industry that normally measures itself on milliseconds of latency and screen refresh rates, the decisive edge in January seems to have gone to those capable of keeping the lights on and the tables staffed.

For more information, read more about online casinos in Pennsylvania.