Pennsylvania bettors jumped at their first chance to legally bet on football, pushing the state’s online and retail sportsbooks to a record $109 million in bets in August, offering a first glimpse into the power of football betting,

“Sports bettors almost universally bet on football, so it is no surprise that even with just one full week of college football games and NFL futures to bet on, that Pennsylvania would experience a significant uptick,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “But with the NFL season now underway and more sportsbooks online, August’s successes are just a precursor to much bigger things ahead.”

According to official data released on Monday, the handle from online and retail sportsbooks was up 84% from the previous record of $59.3 million set in July. Combined, online and retail bets yielded $9.9 million in revenue in August, up from $5.1 million in revenue in July. August’s “win” injected $2.1 million into state and local government coffers.

Pennsylvania’s four online sportsbooks grabbed an increasing share of the total sports betting market. Online bets increased from $39 million in July to $83.2 million in August, representing 76% of the state’s total handle, up from 65.7% in July. By comparison, about 85% of sports bets in New Jersey are made online.

“Online betting in Pennsylvania will continue to increase its share of the state’s handle to a level on par with New Jersey,” Welman said. “To that point, the early-September launch of Fox Bet — the first major sports media-branded betting site in any state — is an interesting development that should gain bettors’ attention. And other online sportsbooks are planning on launching this fall.”