The rampant popularity of sports wagering across the United States is showing no signs of slowing down, as total handle in jurisdictions with commercial betting recently cleared $250 billion in the post-PASPA era.
It was a quick leap in terms of a $50 billion interval, with just five-plus months to go from $200 million to $250 million. It was an eight-month span to get from $150 million to $200 million, a threshold crossed in early March. The introduction of large-market states Ohio and Massachusetts this year, coupled with the now-normal $1 billion-plus monthly handles in New York, drastically shortened the gap.
| State | Handle | % of Total U.S. Handle | Year Launched |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $39,474,025,789 | 15.78% | 2018 |
| Nevada* | $33,496,672,836 | 13.39% | 2018 |
| New York | $26,768,372,416 | 10.70% | 2019 |
| Illinois* | $24,060,004,539 | 9.62% | 2020 |
| Pennsylvania | $22,766,881,867 | 9.10% | 2018 |
| Colorado* | $12,795,525,466 | 5.11% | 2020 |
| Indiana | $12,750,989,638 | 5.10% | 2019 |
| Michigan | $11,268,698,854 | 4.50% | 2020 |
| Arizona* | $11,005,985,362 | 4.40% | 2021 |
| Virginia* | $10,750,479,177 | 4.30% | 2021 |
| TOTALS | $205,137,635,944 | 82.00% | |
| All Other States | $45,043,331,409 | 18.00% | |
| U.S. TOTAL HANDLE | $250,180,967,353 | ||
| *Totals thru June 2023 |
Year Two of mobile betting in the Empire State is running ahead of its 2022 pace. The fall figures to continue that trend, with the New York Giants coming off a playoff berth last season and the Jets the talk of the NFL offseason with their acquisition of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
With a majority of revenue reports in for July, there has been $59.3 billion wagered nationally in the first six-plus months of 2023. To put that number in perspective, that total is already more than the $57.8 billion wagered in all of 2021. With at least two more states — notably Kentucky — set to launch before the end of the year, coupled with the popularity of NFL wagering as the season draws near, it seems a near certainty that handle for this calendar year will set a new record and surpass $100 billion.
| Year | Sports Wagering Handle | % of All-Time Handle |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $4,618,927,053 | 1.85% |
| 2019 | $13,138,741,263 | 5.25% |
| 2020 | $21,545,027,984 | 8.61% |
| 2021 | $57,754,303,855 | 23.09% |
| 2022 | $93,792,843,522 | 37.49% |
| 2023 | $59,331,123,676 | 23.72% |
| TOTALS | $250,180,967,353 |