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Arizona Sports Betting Handle Over $750 Million During September and October

Christopher Boan for Bookies.com

Christopher Boan  | 5 mins

Arizona Sports Betting Handle Over $750 Million During September and October

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The launch of Arizona sports betting in September officially reached historic highs.

That’s the takeaway from the Arizona Department of Gaming’s earnings report released late Friday afternoon, which showed the Grand Canyon State brought in $291.2 million in wagers during September, to go with $486.097 million in October.

The data, which covers the period from when Arizona sports betting launched Sept. 9 to month’s end, represents a bold new era for the state, according to ADG Director Ted Vogt in a department press release.

“Without a doubt, newly legalized casino games, event wagering & fantasy sports have already increased revenues to the state and will continue to do so for years to come,” Vogt said. “I am proud of the continued partnership between the state, Arizona Tribes, and event wagering & fantasy sports stakeholders that benefits all of Arizona.”

In terms of taxes, the ADG reported more than $1 million from event wagering revenues going toward the state’s general fund during September and October combined. Operators paid more than $14 million in licensing fees to open operations in the state.

"Arizona’s event wagering & fantasy sports is off to a strong start here in the state and will only increase as the market matures," Vogt said in the press release. "We worked diligently with the public and stakeholders to efficiently and responsibly set up these industries in just under five months, and we are starting to see the culmination of this hard work.”

Arizona Sports Betting Revenue & Handle, October vs. September

Total Handle Mobile Handle Revenue
October $486.097M$479.255M$10.356M
September $291.213M$288.129M $0.392M
Change Up 66.9% Up 66.3% Up 2539%

Note: Arizona sports betting launched Sept. 9; October was the first full month.


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How Arizona’s Sports Betting Revenue Stacks Up

Arizona’s $291.2 million in sports betting revenue during September is the largest handle for a state in its first month of reporting, topping Nevada’s $286.5 million report in June 2018.

Overall in September, the leader in handle during the month was New Jersey, which became the first state to surpass $1 billion in a single month, with $1.01 billion in revenue.

After that, Nevada came in at $787.7 million, followed by Pennsylvania ($578.8M), Colorado ($408.3M) and Michigan ($386.8M).

Arizona’s overall handle in September was limited by its Sept. 9 launch date, which came on the first day of the NFL betting season but missed the first full weekend of college football.

Arizona’s revenue in October, which was the first full month of sports betting in the state, ranked seventh nationally — behind Colorado ($491.5M), Michigan ($497.6M), Pennsylvania ($776.3M), Illinois ($840.4M), Nevada ($1.101B), and New Jersey ($1.303B).

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What Stands Out From Arizona’s Revenue Reports

During Arizona’s first month of legalized sports betting, the No. 1 operator in the state, by revenue, was DraftKings — which nearly doubled its next closest competitor in wagers collected.

In total, DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona raked in $97,726,411 in revenue during the month, which dwarfed the next closest operator (BetMGM Arizona at $58,918,282).

Other noteworthy wager numbers at sportsbooks in September were FanDuel Arizona ($57,927,039 in wagers), Caesars Sportsbook Arizona ($42,172,453), and WynnBET Arizona ($17,428,339).

Rounding out the list were Penn National Interactive/Barstool Sports ($13,045,514 in wagers), TwinSpires Sportsbook Arizona ($489,556), and Unibet Arizona ($420,983).

Fast forward a month, and the figures painted a similar picture, with DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona leading the way in wagers — at $151,449,866. Other operators of note during the Grand Canyon State’s first full month of operation were FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona ($115,930,787 in wagers), BetMGM Arizona ($92,083,455), Caesars Sportsbook Arizona ($69,184,843), Penn National Interactive/Barstool Sports ($26,302,770) and WynnBET Arizona ($20,736,212.68).

TwinSpires Sportsbook Arizona ($1,643,242 in wagers), Unibet Arizona ($1,242,323), and Rush Street Interactive ($681,570) rounded out the state’s report for October.

As far as payouts are concerned, September saw $258.9 million in winnings, while October’s report said $448.59 million in winnings occurred in Arizona. The state reported a little more than $1 million in tax revenue in October after reporting $31,393 in tax revenue in September (all from the retail betting locations at Chase Field and the Footprint Center).

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Arizona Sports Betting Market Lives up to Hype

The long-awaited earnings report confirmed what many expected — Arizona’s sports betting marketplace would compete with the industry’s stalwarts from the get-go.

Early signs came when geolocation firm GeoComply said in October that Arizona ranked fourth out of 18 states and the District of Columbia in NFL betting transactions — behind Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Other hints came from operators like DraftKings Arizona, which said it acquired 100,000 paid customers in the Grand Canyon State 17 days after launch. That’s 10 times faster than their next best market (New Jersey).

Another indicator came from Brendan Bussman, partner and director of government affairs for gaming and hospitality for consulting firm Global Market Advisors, who told Bookies.com in October the state’s first revenue report would be strong.

“I don't want to necessarily put myself on a number just because I think it’s yet to be determined how the weeks after that check out, but I expect a strong number and probably one that will also set some records along the way,” Bussmann said.

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About the Author

Christopher Boan for Bookies.com
Christopher Boan
Christopher Boan has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, with stops at ArizonaSports.com, Tucson Weekly and Green Valley News.