If you left the sportsbook with a lighter wallet or needed to make a few more deposits into your mobile sports wagering account over the past 12 months, chances are you were not alone.
A comparison of periods covering July 2021-June 2022 against July 2022-June 2023'saw almost every state of the two dozen-plus reviewed had notable increases in operator holds. That led to a staggering rise in revenue, even in states where sports betting handle for the recent 12-month period showed a decline.
Overall, 26 states were reviewed and 19 of them conducted legal wagering long enough for full 12-month periods of comparisons. Arizona, South Dakota, and Wyoming had 10-month spans of comparison, while Connecticut numbers were scrutinized over a nine-month period.
In the cases of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Maryland, the comparisons are not like-for-like as each state expanded into mobile wagering during these spans. Louisiana’s length of comparison is eight months; Maryland has seven months available.