The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has revealed that casinos and sportsbooks created over 1,100 new jobs in the state during the 2021/2022 Fiscal Year. Furthermore, all legal gambling added more than $2 billion to the state’s tax revenues for the first time ever.
At the end of June 2022, almost 15,000 people were employed by casinos in Pennsylvania – a number that looks set to rise as both retail and online casinos and sportsbooks continue to grow. Notably, the gaming industry is also proving to be a diverse employer in the state, with around 43% of employees recorded as female, and 40% from racial minorities.
In total, 16 land-based casinos now call PA home, with the latest to open being Live! Casino Pittsburgh, Live! Casino Philadelphia, Hollywood Casino York, and Hollywood Casino Morgantown. Parx Shippensburg Casino is set to open early in 2023, and an additional mini-casino in Centre County is awaiting regulatory approvals.
Breaking the numbers down, taxable revenue from casino slot machines was up 27.7% to $2.4 billion, while table games contributed $1 billion – up a massive 40.7% year-on-year. In addition to the revenue from gaming itself, the state’s construction and services sectors also benefited from lucrative contracts – illustrated by the Parx Casino Shippensburg awarding contracts worth $11,044,201 ahead of its opening.
In addition to tax revenues for the state, Pennsylvania casinos also made significant donations to local charities and community outreach programs. For example, Hollywood Casino York, which opened on August 12, 2021, contributed $204,374 to good causes, while Hollywood Casio Morgantown, which opened on December 22, 2021, gave $132,390 to charities.