New York Sportsbooks Post Record June Handle as Knicks Title, World Cup Erase Margins

New York sportsbooks handled a record $2.3 billion in June bets, but revenue plunged 43.3% as bettors cashed in on the Knicks' title and World Cup action.

Ziv Chen

Last Updated: July 31, 2026 5:07 PM EDT • 3 minute read

Pictured: The back of the Big Bus during the New York Knicks Championship Parade as we look at how sportsbooks fared in the state during June. Photo by Brenden Willsch-Imagn Images

Enjoying SBR content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account

New York's legal mobile sportsbooks moved more money in June 2026 than in any June since the state legalized mobile wagering, yet the industry's take from that activity collapsed. Bettors placed $2.3 billion in wagers during the month, while gross revenue landed at just $117 million, a drop of 43.3% compared to June 2025, according to figures published by the New York State Gaming Commission.

Two events explain the gap for New York sports betting apps. The New York Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973 on June 13, defeating the San Antonio Spurs four games to one. Then the FIFA World Cup opened on June 11 at MetLife Stadium, marking the first World Cup matches on US soil since 1994, with the US Men’s National Soccer Team drawing heavy local betting interest during its group stage run.

During the Knicks title week alone, eight licensed New York sports betting operators lost a combined $48.5 million, their worst single week since mobile betting began in New York in 2022.

FanDuel led the market with $804.1 million in handle but saw revenue slide to $42.7 million on a 5.3% hold. DraftKings followed with $785.4 million in handle and $41.6 million in revenue at the same hold rate. Together, the two operators controlled 70.4% of the state's action. Smaller books fared unevenly.

Fanatics Sportsbook posted the weakest hold of any operator at 3.48%, while Caesars Sportsbook's revenue fell 52.1% year-on-year. Bally Bet was the only operator to grow revenue, aided by a smaller, less correlated book. New York's overall hold rate settled at 5.19%, its lowest ever, pulling state tax collections down to $59.7 million from $105.3 million a year earlier.

Residents took advantage of New York sportsbook promos throughout.

World Cup wagering reached record scale nationwide

That same tournament driving down New York's hold rate also produced record betting volume across the country as a whole. Industry executives say the 2026 World Cup generated the largest betting handle ever recorded for a soccer event in the US, with figures rivaling or exceeding other major annual sporting events.

Hard Rock Bet senior vice president Neil Walsh estimated that the tournament's total wagering activity amounted to roughly 10 Super Bowls combined, calling it the biggest betting event in American history. Caesars Sportsbook said the tournament drew about 30% more individual bets than the combined men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments, along with a slightly higher overall handle.

Argentina and Lionel Messi generated outsized betting interest throughout the event, with Messi drawing the most action of any player across prop bets and futures markets. Argentina also saw the highest number of tickets across many sportsbooks, and location-tracking firm GeoComply recorded 7.6 million geolocation checks during Argentina's late-night match against Algeria. That figure topped many primetime matchups.

The US national team carried the heaviest financial exposure for sportsbooks before its elimination, with DraftKings reporting it as the most bet-on team of the tournament. Looking ahead, Spain opened as the favorite to win the 2030 World Cup.

Written by:
Ziv Chen

Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.