Top US Online Casino Markets by Average Yearly Spend
The iGaming industry has come a long way in the last seven years. Two of the five legal markets in US launched in last 12 months. The total US i gaming market has taken all-time handle of more than $54 billion. VegasSlotsOnline News has assessed which states are home to the biggest online casino gamblers. They are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, and Michigan.
Multiple jurisdictions have broken in-state and national records for online casino over the past 12 months.
VegasSlotsOnline News obtained the total handle data from each jurisdiction since it legalized iGaming. The average yearly spend per gambler was calculated by dividing the average annual handle by the estimated number of online casino players in the respective jurisdiction. The total number. of gambling customers was taken from AGA research and 2019 census data.
Pennsylvania is the most popular online casino market in the US. Its players spend on average $6,766.15 per year. Michigan is second with $3.47bn in handle since going live earlier this year, while New Jersey is third with only $125.59 per month. West Virginia and Delaware are in bottom two places. The state-run model of the latter market is not very successful. It has a low handle. iGaming technology is already at a high level and mobile gambling is easily accessible.
Pennsylvania is one of the top gambling markets in the US. The state has 2.7 million gamblers and has been active in iGaming for 22 months. Online casino operators went live in July 2019. Pennsylvania has generated upwards of $33.6bn in handle in that time. In March, the state brought in nearly $100m in online casino revenue. Penn National Gaming is the leader in this market.
Michigan's online casino market is the youngest in the US at just over five months old. The state generated $79.7m in online gambling revenue for February 2021. Michigan registered its highest monthly iGaming revenue total in March when operators generated $95m. May's total reached $94.8m, corresponding to $694. 7m per month. Michigan's igaming market has been successful because of the opening of Detroit's three brick-and-mortar casinos during the pandemic.
New Jersey is one of the US's largest traditional casino markets outside of Nevada. The state has 2.2 million gamblers and 91 months of active iGaming. It wasn't until January 2020 that the state surpassed $50m in monthly online casino revenue. New Jersey igaming has seen a huge upswing since 2019. Operators in the State generated revenue of $931.5m in 2020 alone.
There are 371,626 gamblers in West Virginia. The jurisdiction became the fourth in the US to offer iGaming. It is much smaller than Pennsylvania, which has a market of 1.4 million people. DraftKings and BetMGM were the only two online casinos before Rush Street's launch this year. West Virginians spend 33% more than Delaware residents each year on gambling. In 2020, the betting market saw around $414.9m in handle, an increase of 84% from 2019 figures.
Delaware has had legal iGaming for 91 months, but its handle totals just $912.5m. Monthly handle surpassed $30m for the first time this March. The state's land-based racinos are licensed to offer their own branded gambling websites. Delaware's lottery-run model is unique for its adoption of a lottery model. New Jersey's open market added more than $16.2m to state coffers in May.
The US's iGaming industry had a slow start. Now, the five states have proven that i gaming is here to stay. Legislators are considering introducing igaming legislation. There are still legal hurdles facing online casino backers in each state. The US has always been a powerhouse in the gambling world. iGambling will serve as another string to that bow.