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New York racinos had one of the steepest August setbacks in the Mid-Atlantic, with gross gaming revenue falling 38% year over year to $137.2 million.
The decline came as casinos across Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia also reported weaker land-based results for the month, according to a report from Casino.org. Across the region, the pattern was similar: in-person gaming slowed, while online casino revenue continued to grow in some states.
New York was part of a broader regional slowdown
August gaming revenue declined in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In Atlantic City, in-person casino revenue slipped 5.5% to $294.9 million. Pennsylvania’s brick-and-mortar slots and table games generated $280.3 million, nearly 6% below the same month last year, even though the state had one more casino operating than it did a year earlier after Happy Valley Casino opened in April 2026.
Maryland’s six casinos combined for $160 million in August, down 6% from the prior year. Virginia’s five casinos generated $97.6 million, almost 5% lower year over year, while Delaware in-person casino revenue fell almost 3% to $43.8 million.
West Virginia was not included in the state-by-state comparison because it does not issue monthly casino revenue reports.
Online growth continued in neighboring states
While retail casino play weakened, the report said iGaming revenue increased in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The cited gains were 35% in Delaware, 4.4% in New Jersey, and almost 6% in Pennsylvania.
That split matters for New York readers because the state’s August weakness was tied to racino revenue, while neighboring states with full iGaming markets continued to post online growth even as their physical casinos slowed.
Industry group points to illegal market pressure
The American Gaming Association said illegal and unregulated gambling continues to take business from legal operators. AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said illegal operators are “siphoning billions in tax revenue from state governments” and undercutting the regulated market.
The group estimates that Americans wager $673.6 billion each year with illegal and unregulated gambling operators, including $466.2 billion on unlawful online slots and table games.
For New York players, the next key update will be whether August proves to be a one-month drop or part of a longer trend in racino performance as neighboring states continue to expand online gaming activity. As always, players should stick to legal, regulated gambling options.
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Source: As reported by Devin O’Connor.
