September Sports Betting Surge Takes Massachusetts Over $3 Billion in Lifetime Wagers

For the first time since Massachusetts launched its comprehensive mobile and retail sports betting platform back in February featuring the best sports betting apps, betting sites, and best sportsbooks, the Bay State was able to take advantage of a full month of NFL football. And the September sports betting numbers prove just how important the league is to the state’s sports betting bottom line.

Massachusetts sports betting with its Massachusetts sportsbook promos surged past the $500-million mark for the first time since April after a prolonged summer sports betting drought, according to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's September report. The overall September figures there showed huge double-digit month-over-month percentage gains in handle, revenues, and taxes paid out through the state’s providers.

$512.1 million September handle for Massachusetts

Massachusetts joined the long line of legal sports betting states that experienced a strong bounce back in wagering activity between August and September. A total of $512.2 million in sports wagers was reported through Massachusetts sports betting apps and the state's retail providers in September, marking it the third-best month for the Bay State since welcoming widespread legal mobile and retail sports wagering in February.

The $512.2 million is a whopping 62.6% improvement from the $320.7 million reported in August. 

Of note, $499.7 million of the overall $512.2 million handle came from Massachusetts sports betting apps, while retail made up about $12.5 million of September’s sports betting haul.

Revenues experience triple-digit month-over-month gains 

Just like the Massachusetts September handle, revenues for the state's betting providers experienced a huge spike during the month. $51.04 million in profits came from the Bay State September sports betting take, an astounding 117% month-over-month spike from the nearly $23.5 million in August.

Massachusetts sports betting apps were responsible for $50.2 million of the overall $51.04 million in profits for state's wagering providers.

The hold rate for Massachusetts sportsbooks was 9.97% in September, more than 2.5% higher than the 7.3% win rate the previous month.

Massachusetts sports betting companies paid out $9.9 million in taxes, more than double the $4.5 million from August. That came from $49.8 million in taxable sportsbook revenues.

Home-state DraftKings sets record for monthly handle

Home-state DraftKings was again the top Massachusetts sports betting app in September, making up over half of the overall $512.2 million handle. DraftKings Massachusetts managed a record single-month sportsbook haul of $290.1 million during the September reporting period.

DraftKings benefitted to the tune of $28.2 million in revenues during September off of a 9.73% hold. The company's revenue total for September was also tops for the Massachusetts market.

That shop has now accounted for $1.52 billion of the state's lifetime $3 billion handle.

FanDuel Massachusetts finished second in both handle and revenues in the Bay State during September, far off of the numbers the rival DraftKings posted. FanDuel took in nearly $122 million in bets in Massachusetts during September, and it generated $14.2 million in revenues off of a state-high 11.66% hold.

BetMGM Massachusetts was third with $33.5 million in September bets to go along with nearly $3.7 million in revenues. Caesars was fourth with $18.1 million in bets and $1.64 million in revenues. WynnBET rounded out the top five with $13.85 million in September bets and $868,385.59 in revenues off of an underwhelming 6.27% hold.