Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course reported a 19.4% increase in all-sources pari-mutuel handle for 197 live racing days in 2012.
All-sources handle at the Pennsylvania racetrack was $199,644,098 in 2012 compared with $167,251,807 for 199 programs in 2011. Average daily handle of $1,013,422 was up 20.6% from $840,461 in 2011.
In a release, Penn National director of racing operations Dan Silver said 2012 "was a very successful year for Penn National, which is a credit to the hard work put in by all the racing employees, the strong support from our terrific horsemen, and our loyal customers who responded so enthusiastically to our product."
As expected the bulk of wagering came from export of the Penn National signal. Export handle totaled $188,310,780, up 20.5% from $156,242,580 in 2011.
Officials consider "live" handle a combination of money bet on Penn National racing on track, at in-state off-track wagering outlets owned by Penn National Gaming Inc., and through company-owned advance deposit wagering services. That figure was $11,333,319 for 2012, up 2.9% from $11,009,226 the previous year.
Average daily "live" handle was $57,530 over 197 nights, up 4% from $55,323.
Penn National paid $40,232,272 in purses in 2012, up 11.6% from $36,022,954 in 2011, according to The Jockey Club Information Systems. Average daily purses increased 12.7% from $181,020 to $204,225.
Field size averaged 8.05 horses per race in 2012, up slightly from 7.91 in 2011, according to TJCIS statistics. The number of races dropped a bit from 1,773 to 1,769 this year.
