Sports betting has soared in Pennsylvania over recent years, putting the Keystone State among the top three states nationwide for this type of gaming. It trails only New Jersey and Nevada, write Taylor Allen and Mike D’Onofrio for Axios.

This is good news for area and regional communities, as they both collect tax revenue from the pastime. The state gets 34 percent of the purse; counties receive 2 percent.

Pennsylvania generated over $63 million in competition-bet revenue in November 2021 alone, according to the latest data. Since November 2018, nearly $11 billion has been wagered on sports in Pa.

Harrisburg, which authorizes both mobile and in-person sports wagering, made the pastime legal six months after the federal ban on sports gambling was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2018.

Pa. moved to legalize both online betting and fantasy sports in 2017, but a federal court case delayed the issue.

Currently, 30 states and Washington, D.C., have live legal sports betting markets. Meanwhile, mobile wagers are within the law in 18 states and the District of Columbia. Pa. is among 15 states that allow both.

Next month is expected to break more wagering records with the start of NFL playoffs and college football championships.

Read more about sports betting in Axios.