U.S. commercial gaming bounced back strongly in October after a slow September, with growth across all major sectors. The American Gaming Association’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker said, “U.S. commercial gaming revenue grew 17.0% year-over-year in October, reaching $6.81 billion with all three major verticals expanding.”

The report said the results show 2025 is on track to be another record year for commercial gaming. “Through the first ten months of 2025, total commercial gaming revenue stands at $64.30 billion, 8.7 percent higher than the same period last year.”

Traditional Casinos Achieve Record October

Brick-and-mortar casinos had their strongest October ever, with steady gains in both slots and table games. The tracker said, “Traditional casino gaming expanded by 5.0 percent, growing more than twice as fast as it did in October of 2024, making it the best October on record for commercial brick-and-mortar gaming.”

Slot machines were the biggest contributor, earning $3.10 billion, a 3.7 percent increase year-over-year. Table games also performed well, bringing in $822.5 million, up 9.5 percent. Growth was seen across most states. The report said, “Nearly every state grew traditional gaming revenue in October. Expansion markets in Illinois, Virginia, and Nebraska, as well as double-digit revenue growth in New Jersey and Louisiana, drove the national performance higher.”

Sports Betting Bounces Back

Sports betting revenue bounced back in October after a slow September. The improvement came from higher operator margins and seasonal demand, mostly from football. The tracker said, “After an unfavourable month in September, sportsbooks fared far better in October as hold increased 193 basis points, to 9.02 percent from 7.09 percent last October.”

The report added that profitability has stayed high throughout the year. “Year-to-date, the sports betting hold is 9.77 percent, up 29 basis points over the same period last year.”

iGaming Growth Surpasses Land-Based Revenue

Online casino gaming, or iGaming, kept growing fast and outpaced other sectors. The report said, “iGaming continued its rapid expansion, generating $968.7 million in October (+27.3%).” In some big states, iGaming even passed physical casinos. The report noted, “In Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, iGaming surpassed brick-and-mortar revenue in both September and October.”

Gaming also adds a lot to state budgets. The tracker said, “Regulated gaming generated $1.54 billion in state gaming tax revenue in October and has produced $14.81 billion through the first ten months of the year.”

But tax losses from unregulated products remain an issue. The report said, “Event contract platforms offering sports bets have cost state governments nearly $200 million this year, depriving seniors, pension plans and responsible gaming programmes of roughly a $1,000 a minute while they remain active.”