Wagers in new legal markets exceed Nevada

(PRESS RELEASE) -- This January, for the first time ever, wagers in new legal sports betting markets exceeded the amount of wagers placed in Nevada. Increased access to legal, regulated sports betting resulted in 50.2% of all legal wagers – $503.1 million – being placed in the states that have legalized sports betting since the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on that activity in May 2018.

“For the first time in the history of U.S. gaming, Nevada’s sports betting handle has been eclipsed by the rest of the country,” said Sara Slane, AGA’s senior vice president of public affairs. “The demand for legal sports betting is abundantly clear, with the majority of legal wagers now being placed in markets that didn’t even exist a year ago. What’s more, this strong consumer appetite for legal sports betting is matched by action from state legislatures and sovereign tribal nations. Two thirds of jurisdictions have now taken steps to legalize sports betting, marking an unprecedented amount of growth for this new sector in just ten months.”

The state-by-state handles for January 2019 are as follows:

• Nevada: $497.5 million
• New Jersey: $385.3 million
• Mississippi: $35.2 million
• Pennsylvania: $32.0 million
• Rhode Island: $19.1 million
• West Virginia: $17.8 million
• Delaware: $11.9 million
• Total: $998.8 million