Now that the NFL season is underway, the US sports bẹtting industry is back to thriving and setting new records. It was a rough few months for sportsbooks and states this summer, but things have turned back around in a hurry.
More and more people continue to sign up to bet online, but retail sports bẹtting is also included in the mix as well. At this point it’s almost unbelievable when looking at the sports bẹtting reports, but there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight.
There is now a clear leader when it comes to US sports bẹtting, but the battle for the remaining spots in the top-five is terrific. October is going to prove to be another big month of sports bẹtting records falling, including at the top spot.
New Jersey Just Continues to Amaze
Nevada used to be the only state that really offered sports bẹtting prior to 2018, making it the clear leader in the industry. That is no longer the case, and New Jersey didn’t waste any time in taking the reins from Nevada.
New Jersey went over the $1 billion mark in monthly handle in September, and then followed that up with $1.3 billion in October. This is the only state to even sniff the $1 billion mark, and it’s conceivable that it will go over $1.5 billion at some point before the NFL season ends.
Pennsylvania is also a large and growing sports bẹtting market, and that state also set a new record in October. The Pennsylvania sports bẹtting handle was just over $776 million, with a majority of that bẹtting being done online.
Nevada has not yet announced its October handle total, but it should be slightly higher than Pennsylvania if recent trends hold true. The entire US industry is going to shatter an old record for monthly handle as well, and this has been a common theme since the federal ban on sports bẹtting was lifted.
Midwest Seeing Plenty of Growth
New Jersey and Pennsylvania might get all of the national attention, but the Midwest has a strong sports bẹtting scene as well. Not all of the Midwest states have announced sports bẹtting totals for October, but Iowa and Indiana both set new records.
Indiana had a monthly handle of more than $450 million for the first time, and football wasn’t the only reason for the large jump. Basketball is the most popular sport in the Hoosier State, and bettors welcomed the return of the NBA.
Iowa is a much smaller market than Indiana, but that state now allows each casino to have three sports bẹtting skins. The Hawkeye State is going to fall short of other Midwest states in terms of monthly handle, but the numbers are still trending in the right direction.
The report from Illinois will be coming at some point later this month, and all eyes will be on this state. Illinois has a chance to pass up Pennsylvania and reclaim the number two spot.
