June Serves as Worst Sports Betting Month for Maryland Since Launch of Mobile in November
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Maryland has become a reliable sports betting jurisdiction in the broader U.S. market, but June proved that it, too, is susceptible to a healthy summer sports betting slowdown.
June was the worst month for the best sports betting apps in Maryland since November, when the state officially launched a comprehensive mobile sports betting platform on the 23rd of that month. June snapped a six-month streak of $320 million or more handle for Maryland.
It isn't all bad news for Maryland sports betting, though. With June's figures factored in, the state has surpassed the $3-billion mark in terms of lifetime handle.
June's handle slips under $300 million
According to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming June earnings report released July 10, bettors spent just under $254.5 million with the state's best sportsbooks.
The best sports betting sites in Maryland accounted for nearly 96% of the overall wagering activity for the state, with $243.8 million of the total $254.5 million coming from Maryland's 10 mobile sports betting providers.
Revenues and taxes paid
According to Maryland Lottery and Gaming, the taxable win for sportsbooks in Maryland was $18,900,337 in June, thanks to a 10.6% hold. Last month’s hold rate came in considerably lower than the average 13.3% hold rate for the fiscal year.
The lower hold rate can be attributed to bettors in Maryland having wagering success on two sports in particular. Maryland sportsbooks lost $314,902 on hockey bets in June. Motorsports betting led to $932 in losses in the state.
It all led to $2,835,051 in total sports betting taxes paid to Maryland state and local coffers in June, thanks to the state's 15% tax rate. That’s down from $4.65 million in May.
FanDuel dominates Maryland
FanDuel once again came out on top as the most popular sportsbook in the state in June. FanDuel generated $108.7 million in bets last month and saw $14.5 million in gross gaming revenue, thanks to an impressive 13.4% hold. FanDuel paid $1.6 million in taxes in Maryland in June and was the only provider to eclipse the $1-million mark in terms of taxes paid to the state.
DraftKings was a predictable second in the Maryland market in June. It took in $89.7 million and reported $7.8 million off of an 8.7% hold. BetMGM was next with a $20.8 million June handle, with $2.2 million in revenues. Caesars was fourth with $11.9 million in June bets, but thanks to an underwhelming 4.9% hold, the sportsbook profits came out to just $588,740 last month.
Of note, Fanatics Sportsbook, which made a major splash last week with its acquisition of PointsBet USA’s assets, totaled a slightly underwhelming $1.6 million in bets in Maryland in June, its first full month of operation in the state.