US Commercial Gaming Revenue Sets May Record at $6.73 Billion as iGaming Surges 33 Percent
American commercial gaming revenue reached a record $6.73 billion in May 2026, a 10.9 percent year-over-year increase driven by a 33 percent surge in iGaming and continued growth across sports betting and traditional casino games.
The American Gaming Association reported that U.S. commercial gaming revenue hit $6.73 billion in May 2026, the best May performance on record and a 10.9 percent increase over the same month a year ago. The figure was released as part of AGA’s monthly commercial gaming revenue tracker and reflects results from state-regulated casinos, sports betting, and online casino gaming across the country. The data points to an industry firing on all cylinders as iGaming continues to outpace every other gaming vertical by a significant margin.
Online gaming revenue, which encompasses both online sports betting and iGaming, expanded 27.5 percent in May to reach $2.19 billion in total. Within that figure, iGaming revenue grew 33 percent year-over-year while online sports betting posted a 21.4 percent gain. The accelerating pace of growth in the digital segment is reshaping the broader commercial gaming landscape as more consumers shift their activity to online platforms.
Land-Based Gaming Holds Ground
Traditional brick-and-mortar gaming also posted solid results. Land-based gaming revenue, combining traditional casino games and retail sports betting, grew 4.8 percent in May to reach $4.53 billion. That figure demonstrates that the explosive growth in online gaming has not come at the expense of land-based operations, at least not at the national aggregate level. Individual market dynamics vary significantly from state to state, but the overall picture is one of healthy parallel growth across both digital and physical gaming venues.
Commercial sportsbook revenue increased 24.3 percent in May to $1.37 billion. Americans wagered a total of $12.10 billion on sports during the month, up 15.5 percent year-over-year, with a national hold rate of 11.3 percent compared to 10.5 percent in May 2025. Year-to-date commercial sports betting revenue through May stands at $6.50 billion, 13.1 percent higher than the same five-month period last year. Bettors looking to participate in the growing market can compare offers from the FanDuel Promo Code and DraftKings Promo Code to get started with leading operators.
iGaming: The Growth Engine
The iGaming sector’s 33 percent growth rate in May is particularly significant in the context of national gaming policy discussions. Seven states currently operate legal online casino markets — New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island — and every one of them posted annual revenue gains in May. Delaware, Rhode Island, and West Virginia more than doubled their respective iGaming revenues compared to May 2024, reflecting the compounding effect of market maturation combined with new player acquisition.
Year-to-date iGaming revenue across all seven states reached $4.29 billion through May, a 29.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. That trajectory puts the sector on pace to approach or exceed $10 billion in annual revenue for the first time, building on the $10.73 billion posted across all active iGaming states in 2025. Players in states with legal online casinos can take advantage of the competitive market by comparing welcome bonuses at leading platforms, with options ranging from the BetMGM Casino Promo Code to the Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code.
State-Level Growth Drivers
The AGA’s tracker highlighted several states posting outsized growth in May. Illinois led with a 22.7 percent increase in commercial gaming revenue, followed by Virginia at 36.1 percent and Nebraska at 149.8 percent, the latter driven by a relatively new legal market still in its early expansion phase. New Jersey posted 10.9 percent growth while Maine gained 10.4 percent. West Virginia was another standout, with 24.4 percent growth, partly reflecting the maturation of its iGaming market.
The May data arrives at a moment when the industry is watching several high-profile state expansion debates unfold, including ongoing legislative activity in states where iGaming legalization has gained traction. If even one or two additional large states were to join the iGaming market in the near term, the national revenue totals would accelerate further from what is already a record-setting pace.