Parx Casino in north Bensalem, Philadelphia, and its counterpart Parx Casino Shippensburg, distinguish themselves as the only fully smoke-free casinos in Pennsylvania. Despite its smoke-free policy compelling smokers to step outside, Parx Casino consistently outperforms its competition in the brick-and-mortar realm.
In September, Parx Casino earned impressive revenues, garnering around $31.5 million from its retail slots and another $16 million from its table games. The combined physical gaming revenue of approximately $47.5 million eclipsed that of Wind Creek Bethlehem, its closest competitor, which reported an income of around $43.5 million.
Long-standing supremacy in the Pennsylvania casino industry has been shared between Parx and Wind Creek. Despite remaining smoke-free subsequent to the pandemic, Parx has ceaselessly maintained its dominion.
Wind Creek had previously operated under the Sands brand, but changed hands in May 2019 when the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama purchased the Lehigh Valley estate from Las Vegas Sands for a sum of $1.3 billion.
Despite the lifting of the indoor smoking ban in Pennsylvania casinos by then governor Tom Wolf in June 2021, Parx officials upheld their smoke-free policy. They credit the decision for garnering positive responses, improving the wellbeing of table game dealers—most vulnerable to secondhand smoke—and receiving overall approval from their employees.
Insinuating the move as beneficial for the health and overall comfort of their clients and staff, Parx Chief Marketing Officer Marc Oppenheimer acknowledged the positive feedback and gains in market share as a testament to the decision’s efficacy.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s 17 land-based casinos reported a gross gaming revenue of $275.1 million for September 2023, representing a 1.8% decline from the same period in 2022. On the other hand, sports betting revenues took a heavier hit, dropping by 27% compared to the prior September.
Despite these setbacks, Pennsylvania’s internet platforms massively compensated for these losses, having a record-breaking performance from remote players. Total iGaming GGR for September amounted to $157.1 million, representing a robust 43% year-on-year uptick.
Within the iGaming market, Penn National Race Course’s online gaming platform outshines the rest. Penn Gaming’s online activities brought in a significant $64.8 million in September GGR, approximately 44% of the Pennsylvania iGaming market. In second place was Boyd Gaming’s Valley Forge Casino Resort online platforms, which generated around $35.4 million.
