Record Year In 2025 For Nationwide Sports Betting Handle

By Jim Tomlin

Feb 6th, 2026 4:31 PM EST

The amount wagered nationwide at sportsbooks has risen sharply since 2021.

The appetite for legal, regulated sports betting sites continued unabated in 2025.

Illinois reported its December numbers on Friday and Bookies.com can confirm that the nationwide sports betting handle topped $150 billion for the first time last year. Arizona has yet to report December figures, so the 2025 total is not 100% official, but the nationwide handle is $157.121 billion even before the Grand Canyon State tallies its numbers (the chart at the top is in billions).

Arizona already has $8.3 billion in handle this year and we project between $850 million to $900 million for the final month of the year there. Thus, the state should exceed $9 billion for the year, which would push the national total past $166 billion.

The national figures are for mobile sports betting apps and retail locations combined, but the vast majority of the action happens online in more than 30 states where it’s available.

Growth Patterns In 2025 Sports Betting

Ohio became the fourth state to exceed $10 billion in handle during a calendar year, clearing that hurdle in December for a total of $10.3 billion in 2025. The other states that reported 11-figure totals had done so for the past few years: New York ($26.329 billion in 2025), Illinois ($15.652B) and New Jersey ($12.235B).

Operators offering sports betting promo codes continued a steady pattern of national growth in general, but some states stood out in a year-over-year comparison.

Of the top 20 states in handle, the biggest growth happened in New York (a 16% YOY increase), Ohio (up 15.9%), Massachusetts (15.2%), Louisiana (14.6%) and Kentucky (14.4%). Only three states had a decline in year-over-year sports betting figures: New Jersey. Mississippi and Rhode Island.

Revenue Also Grows At Sportsbooks

Along with nationwide sports betting handle, revenue derived from sports betting also maintained its upward trajectory.

In 2024, wagering at retail and mobile sportsbooks combined added up to $11.848 billion. But 2025 saw $14 billion in revenue from sports betting operators, again not including Arizona. That’s an 18.9% YOY increase.

And the trend of increasing revenue shows no sign of slowing because Missouri sportsbooks launched on Dec. 1. When the Show-Me State market has a full year’s worth of numbers at this time in 2027, the national revenue figure might well top $15 billion.

For more industry insights, also see our online casinos page at Bookies.com.

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