Online gaming now accounts for over 25% of the U.S. gaming market

Garance Limouzy October 22, 2024

In August 2024, the U.S. gaming industry maintained an impressive growth streak that has lasted for 42 consecutive months. According to the latest figures from the American Gaming Association (AGA), the total revenue from traditional casino games, sports betting, and iGaming reached a record-breaking $5.65 billion in August, reflecting an 8.7 percent year-over-year increase from 2023.

The legal gaming verticals—including casino gaming, sports betting, and iGaming—contributed approximately $1.21 billion in state gaming tax revenue during August. Since the start of the year, the gaming industry has paid an impressive $10.14 billion in taxes to the states.

32 out of 34 states experienced growth

Of the 34 commercial gaming jurisdictions that were operational a year prior and reported complete data for August, a vast majority—32 states—experienced increases in combined revenue from various gaming sectors. Nevada and South Dakota were the exceptions, posting declines of 3.8 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively. However, data for Arizona’s sports betting revenue was not available at the time of reporting.

Land-based gaming continues to thrive

Land-based gaming, which includes revenue from casino slots, table games, and retail sports betting, grew by 3.3 percent year-over-year, totalling $4.22 billion in August. Traditional casino games remain a key revenue driver, generating $4.18 billion, with slot machines accounting for $3.05 billion—a 3.4 percent increase from the previous year. Revenue from table games was relatively stable, showing only a minor growth of 0.14 percent to reach $823.6 million.

Online gaming surges ahead

The online gaming sector demonstrated remarkable strength, with combined revenue from online sports betting and iGaming soaring 28.8 percent year-over-year to $1.42 billion. This segment now constitutes 25.2 percent of total commercial gaming revenue, an impressive rise from 21.3 percent in August 2023.

Sports betting reaches new heights

In August, land-based and online sportsbooks collectively generated $755.7 million in revenue across 33 jurisdictions, marking an impressive 30.9 percent increase from the same month in 2023. Since last August, four new states—Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina, and Vermont—have launched commercial sports betting. Excluding these new markets, organic sports betting revenue grew by 21.5 percent.

Remarkably, the District of Columbia saw a staggering 333 percent year-over-year increase in sports betting revenue, driven by the expansion of its online sports betting market. Delaware also experienced substantial growth, with a 126 percent rise attributed to the recent introduction of online betting.