U.S. States With The Best Sports Bettors in 2024

Michael McClymont - Senior News Editor at Covers.com
Written by: Michael McClymont, Senior News Editor Fact checked by: Michael Duchesne, Managing Editor
Last Updated Dec 02, 2024, 1:57 PM ET
Michael Duchesne has ensured that facts presented were obtained from reliable sources and are accurate.
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How we determine the winningest sports bettors in the USA

Covers looks at the “hold” in a state to determine whose bettors are best. The hold, or win, is determined by the gross revenue earned by sportsbooks as a percentage of the total wagering by their customers.

Go deeper: If there was $100 of betting at New York sportsbooks during January, and operators earned $10 in revenue during the month, then New York's hold was 10%. If sportsbooks in Pennsylvania had a hold of 8% during January, but operators in Ohio had a 10% win rate, then we say Pennsylvania bettors were better. Why? Because the hold for Keystone State books was weaker than their Buckeye State counterparts, suggesting bettors did better during the month.

The bottom line: According to our formula, the worse it is for sportsbooks, the better it is for bettors. We don't include deductions operators may make, such as providing customers bonus bets or other promotional credits. Simply put, we take a state's handle, subtract payouts to winning bettors, and arrive at gross revenue and hold. This approach paints the most transparent picture of how bettors fared in a month or year.

Caveat bettor: All states conduct legal sports betting a bit differently, including how they report data, how they tax operators, and how many sites are available. Some states have only brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, others only have online wagering, and others still have both. That can affect hold, such as forcing bettors to travel to a casino if they want to wager or forcing operators to offer limited betting markets.

Timing: Football season represents the busiest time for sportsbooks, and regionality impacts wagering. If the New York Giants make the Super Bowl, many New Jersey and New York bettors will hammer the local side to win, which could be costly for operators.

Covers will convey the various factors on a month-to-month basis.

September 2024: Sportsbooks Bounce Back

After a rough August in which sportsbooks across the country combined for an 8.7% hold, that number ballooned to 11.4% in September.

Only Colorado and New York managed a hold percentage under double digits in the month. 

The return of the NFL helped books see their handle numbers, revenue, and hold rates shoot up. However, the tide would turn again in October, which turned out to be an historic month for sports bettors across America.

(* = estimated)

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Colorado 9.8%
2 New York 9.9%
3 Iowa 10.1%
4 Arizona 10.4%
5 Illinois 10.5%
6 Nevada 10.6%
7 New Jersey 11.0%
8 Massachusetts 11.1%
9 Michigan 11.3%
10 Indiana 11.4%
T11 Virginia 11.5%
T11 Florida* 11.5%
13 Pennsylvania 11.8%
14 Rhode Island 12.1%
15 North Carolina 12.2%
16 Maryland 12.3%
17 Connecticut 12.4%
18 New Hampshire 12.7%
19 Wyoming 12.9%
T20 Arkansas 13.0%
T20 Ohio 13.0%
22 Maine 13.1%
T23 Kentucky 13.2%
T23 Montana 13.2%
25 Tennessee 13.3%
26 Vermont 13.5%
27 Mississippi 13.6%
28 Kansas 13.7%
29 D.C. 13.9%
30 Oregon 15.1%
31 West Virginia* 15.3%
32 Louisiana 15.7%
33 Delaware 20.1%
34 South Dakota 22.3%

August 2024: Bettors Beat the Books

As summer came to a close and fall drew closer, bettors across the country locked in and fared much better against the books in August.

Bettors collectively got back at the books, posting an 8.7% win rate, the best mark since March. This follows win rates of 19.6% in May, 9.5% in June, and 11.2% in July.

Nevada continues to set the pace for the rest of the country. After leading the U.S. with a 6.9% win rate in July, bettors got that number down to 5.5% in August.

Bettors in Arkansas weren't far behind with a 6% win rate. 

(* = estimated)

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 5.5%
2 Arkansas 6.0%
3 Rhode Island 6.6%
4 Illinois 6.8%
5 New Hampshire 6.9%
6 Kansas 7.2%
7 Arizona 7.5%
8 Massachusetts 7.7%
9 Kentucky 8.0%
10 Vermont 8.4%
11 Florida* 8.5%
12 New York 8.7%
T13 Colorado 8.9%
T13 Ohio 8.9%
T15 New Jersey 9.0%
T15 Oregon 9.0%
17 North Carolina 9.1%
T18 Pennsylvania 9.4%
T18 Iowa 9.4%
T20 Indiana 9.6%
T20 Virginia 9.6%
22 Michigan 10.0%
23 Maryland 10.4%
24 Connecticut 10.6%
25 Maine 10.7%
26 Louisiana 10.9%
27 Tennessee 11.0%
T28 D.C. 11.2%
T28 Delaware 11.2%
30 Wyoming 13.1%
31 Mississippi 14.1%
32 West Virginia 14.6%
33 Montana 19.0%
34 South Dakota 20.9%

July 2024: Nevada Shines in Summer Months

The gambling capital of the U.S. was, once again, home to the best sports bettors in July. Despite the summer month slowdown, bettors in Nevada posted a 6.9% win rate, the best in the country.

Only New Hampshire and Illinois had a hold rate under double digits, underlying how difficult it is to win in sports betting in the summer months.

July was a rough month for bettors across the country, as they combined for an 11.2% win rate. The state of Montana brought up the rear with a 19.3% hold.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 6.9%
2 New Hampshire 7.3%
3 Illinois 9.3%
4 Iowa 10.0%
5 Colorado 10.2%
6 Massachusetts 10.3%
7 Arizona 10.4%
8 Arkansas 10.5%
T9 Rhode Island 11.0%
T9 Kansas 11.0%
11 New York 11.1%
T12 Indiana 11.3%
T12 Michigan 11.3%
14 Oregon 11.4%
15 Ohio 11.6%
T16 Virginia 11.9%
T16 Kentucky 11.9%
18 New Jersey 12.3%
19 North Carolina 12.4%
T20 Pennsylvania 12.7%
T20 West Virginia 12.7%
T22 Connecticut 13.0%
T22 Vermont 13.0%
T24 Louisiana 13.1%
T24 Maryland 13.1%
26 Mississippi 13.5%
27 Tennessee 13.8%
28 D.C. 14.2%
29 Maine 14.3%
30 Wyoming 15.5%
31 South Dakota 17.1%
32 Delaware 17.1%
33 Montana 19.3%

June 2024: South Dakota Outduels Nevada

Sports betting states combined to produce a 9.5% hold rate in the month of June. It was a better outcome for bettors than in May when the hold rate sat at 10.6%.

South Dakota reassumed the mantle, grabbing the top spot from Nevada with an impressive 3.7% hold rate. That followed an unsightly 10.4% mark in May.

Nevada didn't fall too far behind, coming in with a 6.2% hold percentage. New Jersey and Colorado followed with an 8.0% mark.

Once again, D.C. brought up the rear with a 13.5% win rate. The district had been operating with a single operator and recently adopted FanDuel as its sportsbook, but more competition is coming.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ South Dakota 3.7%
2 Nevada 6.2%
T3 New Jersey 8.0%
T3 Colorado 8.0%
5 Rhode Island 8.1%
6 Massachusetts 8.3%
7 Iowa 8.5%
8 Maine 8.9%
9 New York 9.1%
10 Pennsylvania 9.3%
11 Ohio 9.7%
T12 Connecticut 9.9%
T12 Wyoming 9.9%
T14 Mississippi 10.0%
T14 Illinois 10.0%
16 North Carolina 10.1%
17 Indiana 10.2%
T18 Vermont 10.3%
T18 Maryland 10.3%
T18 Arkansas 10.3%
T21 Kansas 10.4%
T21 Arizona 10.4%
T23 Kentucky 10.5%
T23 Delaware 10.5%
25 New Hampshire 10.7%
T26 Virginia 11.0%
T26 Montana 11.0%
28 Oregon 11.1%
29 Michigan 11.2%
30 Tennessee 11.7%
31 West Virginia 12.5%
32 Louisiana 12.8%
33 D.C. 13.5%

May 2024: Nevada Back on Top

Nevada, the gambling mecca, was once again home to the sharpest sports bettors in the month of May. Nevadans and bettors from South Dakota have been passing the mantle back and forth, but it returned to the Silver State. Overall, bettors took a beating in May, with a combined 10.6% win rate, but Nevada's win percentage of 7.0 set the bar.

Bettors in Mississippi weren't far behind. The Magnolia State was one of the earliest to adopt legalized sports betting and that experience is paying off.

D.C. trailed the field with a 15.5% win rate.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 7.0%
2 Mississippi 7.6%
3 Maine 8.5%
4 Arkansas 8.9%
5 Rhode Island 9.0%
6 Iowa 9.2%
7 New Jersey 9.4%
T8 Illinois 10.0%
T8 Massachusetts 10.0%
T8 Kansas 10.0%
T11 Colorado 10.1%
T11 Vermont 10.1%
13 New York 10.3%
T14 Pennsylvania 10.4%
T14 South Dakota 10.4%
16 Connecticut 10.5%
17 Indiana 10.7%
T18 Arizona 11.0%
T18 Ohio 11.0%
20 New Hampshire 11.2%
21 West Virginia 11.3%
T22 Delaware 11.6%
T22 Oregon 11.6%
24 Maryland 11.8%
T25 Kentucky 11.9%
T25 Virginia 11.9%
T27 North Carolina 12.0%
T27 Michigan 12.0%
29 Montana 12.3%
30 Tennessee 12.7%
31 Wyoming 13.3%
32 Louisiana 13.5%
33 D.C. 15.5%

April 2024: South Dakota Stays Sharp

The only legal sports betting available in South Dakota is via retail outlets, but bettors in the Mount Rushmore State continue to feast. Their -2.3 hold percentage was far and away the best mark in the month of April, and follows a string in which South Dakota was home to the sharpest bettors in four straight months in 2023.

It topped bettors in Nevada, who had the best mark in March. Colorado, Rhode Island, and Iowa rounded out the top five.

New to the scene, North Carolina sportsbooks posted a sky-high 16.2% win rate in the Tar Heel State's second full month of legalized sports betting.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ South Dakota -2.3%
2 Nevada 5.4%
3 Colorado 6.3%
4 Rhode Island 7.3%
5 Iowa 7.9%
6 Illinois 8.2%
7 Massachusetts 8.4%
8 New Hampshire 8.9%
T9 Mississippi 9.1%
T9 Pennsylvania 9.1%
T9 Arkansas 9.1%
T12 New York 9.3%
T12 Kansas 9.3%
14 Wyoming 9.7%
15 Arizona 9.8%
16 Indiana 9.9%
T17 New Jersey 10.2%
T17 West Virginia 10.2%
T17 Oregon 10.2%
20 Maryland 10.4%
21 Michigan 10.5%
22 Vermont 10.6%
23 Virginia 10.8%
24 Delaware 10.9%
T25 Ohio 11.0%
T25 Maine 11.0%
27 Tennessee 11.5%
28 Connecticut 11.6%
29 Montana 11.8%
30 Kentucky 12.4%
31 D.C. 13.2%
32 Louisiana 14.3%
33 North Carolina 16.2%

March 2024: Nevada Dominates March

Nevada bettors put together their best hold percentage since November of last year, with a 3.8% mark in March. It should come as no surprise that the sharpest bettors were found in the betting capital of the world during March Madness.

Maine rebounded from a 12.9% mark in February to post the second-best hold rate in March. Perhaps Maine bettors backed the nearby UConn Huskies, who won their second consecutive NCAA men's basketball title.

Kansas was bounced in the second round of the March Madness tournament, but that didn't stop Kansans from again posting an impressive hold rate.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 3.8%
2 Maine 5.9%
3 Kansas 6.6%
T4 New Jersey 6.7%
T4 Iowa 6.7%
6 Arkansas 6.8%
7 Rhode Island 6.9%
T8 South Dakota 7.3%
T8 Massachusetts 7.3%
10 New Hampshire 7.4%
11 Virginia 7.5%
T12 Mississippi 7.6%
T12 Indiana 7.6%
T12 Montana 7.6%
T12 Colorado 7.6%
T12 Vermont 7.6%
17 Arizona 7.8%
T18 Illinois 7.9%
T18 Ohio 7.9%
20 Pennsylvania 8.0%
21 New York 8.2%
22 Maryland 8.4%
23 Kentucky 8.6%
T24 D.C. 8.7%
T24 Michigan 8.7%
T26 Delaware 8.8%
T26 Tennessee 8.8%
T26 Connecticut 8.8%
29 West Virginia 9.3%
30 Wyoming 9.7%
31 North Carolina 10.1%
32 Oregon 10.5%
33 Louisiana 10.8%

February 2024: Super Month for South Dakota

South Dakota was, once again, home to the sharpest bettors in America in February. State bettors grabbed an incredibly impressive -5.5 hold percentage for the month. Perhaps South Dakotans all banded together to bet on the nearby Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

That would also explain how Kansas came in second at 4.2%. Sportsbooks across the country took a beating after the underdog Chiefs won outright.

Again, books are happy with the returns in the states that have most recently legalized sports betting. Vermont and Maine sit in the bottom third in hold percentage.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ South Dakota -5.5%
2 Kansas 4.2%
3 Colorado 4.8%
4 Montana 5.4%
T5 New Jersey 6.2%
T5 Iowa 6.2%
7 Arkansas 6.5%
8 Nevada 6.7%
T9 Michigan 7.3%
T9 Mississippi 7.3%
11 New York 7.4%
T12 Delaware 7.5%
T12 Rhode Island 7.5%
14 Pennsylvania 7.6%
15 Illinois 7.8%
16 Arizona 8.5%
17 Connecticut 8.6%
18 West Virginia 9.0%
T19 Indiana 9.2%
T19 Virginia 9.2%
21 Maryland 9.8%
T22 Ohio 9.9%
T22 Massachusetts 9.9%
24 Tennessee 10.0%
25 D.C. 10.2%
26 Kentucky 10.3%
27 New Hampshire 10.6%
28 Louisiana 11.3%
29 Oregon 11.5%
30 Vermont 12.0%
31 Wyoming 12.5%
32 Maine 12.9%

January 2024: Vermont Takes Beating in Debut Month

Markets opened 2024 with their best month since May 2023, grabbing a nationwide hold rate of 11%. It's the first double-digit hold rate since July.

This is exemplified by the fact the top hold percentage by state was 8% in Michigan. Again, Nevada was not far behind, with an 8.3% hold.

Bookmakers were happy to welcome Vermont to the legal sports betting fray, as the state posted the highest hold rate at 21.1%. There was no beginners luck for bettors in the Green Mountain State.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Michigan 8.0%
2 Nevada 8.3%
3 Iowa 8.5%
4 Kansas 8.7%
5 Colorado 9.0%
6 New Jersey 9.9%
7 Arizona 10.0%
8 Illinois 10.4%
9 New York 10.8%
10 South Dakota 10.9%
11 Indiana 11.1%
T12 Massachusetts 11.2%
T12 Rhode Island 11.2%
T14 Pennsylvania 11.4%
T14 Virginia 11.4%
16 Arkansas 11.6%
17 D.C. 12.1%
18 Connecticut 12.3%
19 West Virginia 12.8%
20 Tennessee 13.0%
21 Wyoming 13.1%
22 New Hampshire 13.4%
23 Ohio 14.0%
24 Oregon 14.1%
25 Maine 14.6%
26 Maryland 14.7%
T27 Kentucky 14.9%
T27 Mississippi 14.9%
29 Louisiana 15.2%
30 Delaware 16.8%
31 Vermont 21.1%

December 2023: Books Rebound in December

After bettors celebrated a 6.3% hold in November, the best mark of 2023, books rebounded in December as the hold climbed to 9.8%.

Colorado had the sharpest bettors, with a hold of 5.7%. Nevada dropped from the top spot to number two with a 7.0%. A total of 16 states recorded a better hold percentage than that in the month of November, but that figure represented the best bettors could do in the final month of 2023. 

Again, Delaware brought up the rear with the worst gross win margin at a stunning 34.4%.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Colorado 5.7%
2 Nevada 7.0%
3 New Jersey 8.5%
4 Rhode Island 8.7%
5 New York 9.2%
6 Iowa 9.3%
7 Massachusetts 9.4%
T8 New Hampshire 9.7%
T8 Wyoming 9.7%
T10 Illinois 9.8%
T10 Arizona 9.8%
T12 Mississippi 10.0%
T12 Virginia 10.0%
14 Maine 10.1%
T15 Connecticut 10.5%
T15 Ohio 10.5%
17 Pennsylvania 10.6%
18 Michigan 10.7%
T19 Arkansas 10.9%
T19 Indiana 10.9%
21 Maryland 11.1%
22 West Virginia 11.7%
23 Kansas 11.9%
T24 Tennessee 12.1%
T24 Kentucky 12.1%
26 Oregon 13.2%
27 South Dakota 13.5%
28 Louisiana 15.0%
29 D.C. 16.5%
30 Delaware 34.4%

November 2023: Silver State Second to None

Bettors rebounded in November, collectively putting together the best month of gross win margin of the year. Bettors collected a hold of 6.3%, a stark difference from a 9.7% hold in October.

Only four states recorded a double-digit hold in November.

Nevada regained its spot as the state with the sharpest bettors, with a 4.5% hold. The Silver State was second to no one, including Colorado and Iowa, who posted holds of 4.7% and 4.9%, respectively.

For the fourth straight month, Delaware had the worst gross win margin at 13.5%.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 4.5%
2 Colorado 4.7%
3 Iowa 4.9%
4 Mississippi 5.0%
T5 Indiana 5.2%
T5 South Dakota 5.2%
T7 Pennsylvania 5.3%
T7 Illinois 5.3%
9 Arkansas 5.5%
T10 New Jersey 5.9%
T10 Arizona 5.9%
12 Connecticut 6.1%
13 Michigan 6.3%
14 Tennessee 6.6%
15 Virginia 6.7%
16 Kansas 6.9%
T17 New York 7.1%
T17 Rhode Island 7.1%
19 D.C. 7.2%
20 Maryland 7.6%
T21 Massachusetts 7.7%
T21 Kentucky 7.7%
23 Ohio 7.8%
24 Louisiana 8.2%
25 Wyoming 8.4%
26 West Virginia 9.1%
27 Oregon 10.2%
28 New Hampshire 10.5%
29 Maine 12.6%
30 Delaware 13.5%

October 2023: New Jersey Bettors Take Top Spot

Bettors out of the state of New Jersey were the sharpest in the U.S. in the month of October. One of the most active states for sports betting allowed just a 7.1% hold to sportsbooks in October.

The Garden State held off New York, Nevada, and Michigan, who reported holds of 8.3%, 8.4%, and 8.4%, respectively.

For the third straight month, Delaware posted the worst gross win margin at a whopping 35.9%.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ New Jersey 7.1%
2 New York 8.3%
T3 Nevada 8.4%
T3 Michigan 8.4%
5 Colorado 8.5%
6 Arizona 8.8%
7 Pennsylvania 8.9%
8 Iowa 9.5%
9 Illinois 9.6%
10 Rhode Island 9.9%
T11 Connecticut 10.2%
T11 Kansas 10.2%
13 Massachusetts 10.6%
T14 Wyoming 10.7%
T14 Indiana 10.7%
16 Ohio 10.8%
17 Virginia 11.2%
18 New Hampshire 11.3%
19 Tennessee 11.8%
20 Oregon 11.9%
21 Maryland 12.1%
22 D.C. 12.2%
23 Arkansas 12.9%
24 West Virginia 13.4%
25 Louisiana 14.0%
26 Mississippi 14.8%
27 South Dakota 17.1%
28 Kentucky 18.2%
29 Delaware 35.9%

September 2023: Rousing Kentucky Debut

In its first month of legalized online sports betting, Kentucky led the way with a hold of 5.7%. Bluegrass State bettors were clearly eager to get into the action, as they topped even the bettors in Nevada and knocked them from the top of the monthly perch.

Nevada finished second with a hold of 7.7%. The Silver State had recorded the best hold rate in October at 4.2%

Bringing up the rear again was Delaware, which reported a hold of 20.2% for the month. South Dakota's 17.4% gross win margin is the only one that comes near that of Delaware's.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Kentucky 5.7%
2 Nevada 7.7%
3 Wyoming 7.9%
4 Illinois 8.1%
5 Kansas 8.3%
6 New Jersey 8.6%
7 Colorado 8.8%
8 Pennsylvania 9.1%
9 Rhode Island 9.2%
10 New York 9.4%
11 Michigan 9.6%
12 West Virginia 9.7%
T13 Arkansas 9.8%
T13 Arizona 9.8%
T13 Iowa 9.8%
16 Massachusetts 10%
17 Indiana 10.1%
18 Virginia 10.1%
T19 Maryland 10.3%
T19 Connecticut 10.3%
21 Virginia 10.4%
22 Oregon 11%
23 Tennessee 11.3%
24 Ohio 11.8%
25 D.C. 13.4%
26 Louisiana 15.4%
27 Mississippi 15.8%
28 South Dakota 17.4%
29 Delaware 20.2%

August 2023: Nevada Back on Top

A familiar name has retaken the top of our leaderboard of betting states: Nevada. After four straight months of dominance by bettors in South Dakota, the sharpest punters in the U.S. during August hailed (or were visiting) Nevada, as sportsbooks there reported a 4.2% hold for the month.

Nevada is the traditional home of legal sports betting in the U.S. and has managed the lowest win rate four years running, so it was, perhaps, merely a matter of time before it returned to the top of the monthly table.

Bringing up the rear in August was Delaware, which reported a hold of 17.7% for the month. Just as Nevada tends to run near the top of the table, Delaware is often close to the bottom, as the state's lottery controls legal sports betting and a higher-margin football parlay game is on offer at retailers.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 4.2%
2 Rhode Island 6.0%
3 Illinois 7.1%
4 South Dakota 7.2%
5 Arkansas  7.4%
6 Massachusetts 7.5%
7 Pennsylvania 7.8%
8 Oregon 7.9%
9 Kansas 8.1%
10 Colorado 8.5%
11 New Hampshire 8.6%
12 Arizona 8.8%
13 New York 8.9%
14 Maryland 9.4%
15 Iowa 9.6%
16 Indiana 9.8%
T17 Connecticut 10.1%
T17 Virginia 10.1%
19 Michigan 10.3%
20 Tennessee 10.6%
T21 West Virginia 10.8%
T21 Ohio 10.8%
23 Wyoming 11.5%
24 Louisiana 11.8%
25 Mississippi 12.6%
26 D.C. 12.9%
27 New Jersey 13.2%
28 Delaware 17.7%

July 2023: No, No One Can Stop South Dakota

South Dakota bettors claimed top honors for the fourth month in a row in July, as the state's sportsbooks managed just a 4.9% hold during the dog days of summer. Once again, that margin managed to best the Nevada books and their sometimes-sharper clientele. 

What exactly is happening in South Dakota remains hard to figure out. The only sports wagering allowed there is in brick-and-mortar casinos, so could be bettors need to have a lot of conviction in what they actually play. It could also be that South Dakotans really know their baseball, as their run of success began in April and continued throughout the summer months.

Running last in our rankings in July was Washington, D.C., where the win rate for sportsbooks was 18.3% for the month. The Washington Nationals continuing their mostly-losing ways during July could account for some of that hold for bookmakers, but it was tough sledding overall for punters in the nation's capital.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ South Dakota 4.9%
2 Nevada 6.2%
3 Colorado 8.9%
4 Rhode Island 9.4%
5 New Hampshire 9.5%
6 Iowa 9.6%
7 Illinois 9.9%
8 Massachusetts 10.2%
9 Oregon 10.3%
10 New Jersey 10.4%
T11 Arizona 10.9%
T11 New York 10.9%
13 Michigan 11.0%
14 Virginia 11.1%
15 Ohio 11.2%
16 Maryland 11.4%
17 Indiana 11.5%
T18 Connecticut 11.6%
T18 Pennsylvania 11.6%
20 Arkansas 11.8%
21 Kansas 12.1%
22 West Virginia 12.2%
23 Wyoming 12.3%
24 Tennessee 13.1%
25 Louisiana 13.6%
26 Mississippi 13.9%
27 Delaware 16.8%
28 D.C. 18.3%

June 2023: Can Anyone Stop South Dakota?

The winning streak for sports bettors in South Dakota continued in June, as the state reported the lowest hold among legal betting states for the third month in a row. South Dakotans also managed to win at an even higher clip than May, with the books recording a negative 2.2% hold for June. That bested even the sharps of Nevada, where the win rate for sportsbooks was a relatively low 2.0% in June. 

It's hard to nail down exactly what's going on in the Mount Rushmore State. Legal sports betting there is limited to brick-and-mortar casinos, so it could be that residents are only willing to place a wager when they're feeling extremely confident about the outcome. Still, going by the state's figures, it looks like the NBA and NHL playoffs delivered particularly favorable results for South Dakota sports bettors.

Meanwhile, punters in New Jersey got roughed up in June to the tune of an 11.2% hold rate for Garden State bookmakers. That was the highest in the U.S. for the month and might have something to do with the prevalence of parlays and the lackluster performance of both the Mets and Yankees during June, even if they do call New York home.

Rank

 State Hold %
1⭐ South Dakota -2.2%
2 Nevada 2.0%
3 Colorado 3.0%
4 Delaware 4.0%
5 D.C. 4.3%
6 Arkansas 5.9%
7 Iowa 6.2%
8 Arizona 7.2%
9 Rhode Island 7.5%
10 Michigan 7.6%
T11 Wyoming 8.2%
T11 Illinois 8.2%
T13 Kansas 8.4%
T13 Montana 8.4%
T15 Indiana 8.5%
T15 Louisiana 8.5%
17 West Virginia 8.7%
18 New York 8.9%
19 Ohio 9.0%
T20 Mississippi 9.1%
T20 Pennsylvania 9.1%
22 Connecticut 9.7%
T23 Massachusetts 9.9%
T23 Oregon 9.9%
25 Virginia 10.0%
26 Maryland 10.6%
27 New Hampshire 11.0%
28 Tennessee 11.1%
29 New Jersey 11.2%

May 2023: South Dakotans Still Winning

May was the best month in 2023 for markets with legal sports betting, as the nationwide hold rate was 11.3%, but don't tell that to South Dakota, as state bettors actually did even better than the previous month. 

The hold for South Dakota sportsbooks was 4.6%, so books missed out on what seemingly was a profitable month.

Which bettors suffered the biggest overall defeats? Well that would be D.C. sports betting, as the retail locations in the nation's capital — plus the mobile bets solely run by the DC Lottery — reported a 16.2% win rate for the month, the highest in the U.S.

The Nationals may not be winning... but the sportsbooks in and around the stadium sure are.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ South Dakota 4.3%
2 Nevada 5.7%
3 Colorado 8.2%
4 Arkansas 10.1%
5 Wyoming 10.2%
6 New Jersey 10.5%
T7 Arizona 10.9%
T7 Illinois 10.9%
9 West Virginia 11.0%
T10 Iowa 11.2%
T10 New York 11.2%
12 Delaware 11.4%
13 Pennsylvania 11.6%
T14 Indiana 11.8%
T14 Michigan 11.8%
T16 Mississippi 11.9%
T16 Virginia 11.9%
18 Kansas 12.1%
19 Oregon 12.4%
20 Rhode Island 12.7%
21 Ohio 13.0%
T22 Maryland 13.3%
T22 Tennessee 13.3%
24 New Hampshire 13.5%
T25 Connecticut 13.6%
T25 Massachusetts 13.6%
27 Montana 15.0%
28 Louisiana 15.3%
29 D.C. 16.2%

April 2023: South Dakota sharps?

What a bounceback for bettors in South Dakota. After getting hammered by the books in March, to the tune of a 17.5% hold for South Dakota's purely brick-and-mortar retail operators, Mount Rushmore State punters rebounded the following month. And, with all the numbers in for April, South Dakota's 4.6% win rate was the lowest among states with legal sports betting. 

Why exactly this happened is a bit of a mystery, but South Dakotans have shown themselves capable of these levels of success in the past. In April 2022, for instance, the hold for the state's sportsbooks was -3.7%. For South Dakota, April is not the cruelest month.

Meanwhile, down at the other end of the table for April was Mississippi sports betting. Casinos in the southern state reported a 13.7% win rate for the month, the highest in the U.S. In short, it looks like Mississippians had a rough start to the baseball season.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ South Dakota 4.6%
2 Nevada 5.4%
3 West Virginia 7.6%
4 Rhode Island 8.0%
5 Iowa 8.2%
6 Colorado 8.4%
7 New Jersey 8.7%
8 New York 9.0%
T9 Indiana 9.1%
T9 Pennsylvania 9.1%
T11 Arizona 9.2%
T11 Arkansas 9.2%
13 Illinois 9.9%
14 Wyoming 10.0%
15 D.C. 10.1%
16 New Hampshire 10.2%
T17 Connecticut 10.4%
T17 Massachusetts 10.4%
19 Virginia 10.6%
20 Michigan 10.8%
21 Tennessee 10.8%
22 Maryland 10.9%
23 Kansas 11.0%
24 Louisiana 11.2%
25 Montana 12.2%
26 Ohio 12.2%
27 Oregon 12.8%
28 Delaware 13.2%
29 Mississippi 13.7%

March 2023: New Hampshire in pole position

This year’s March Madness crown belongs to bettors in the Granite State. While wagering with New Hampshire sports betting's sole operator, DraftKings, soared during March to a year-to-date high of more than $100 million, gross gaming revenue slid to just $4.8 million. As a result, the state's 4.7% hold was the lowest in the U.S. for the month.

In other words, it could be that bettors in the New England state decided to back nearby UConn during the NCAA college basketball tournament, which would have been a profitable choice. The Huskies went on to win the national title.

Elsewhere in New England, the legal launch of the mobile version of Massachusetts sports betting took place in March as well. However, bettors there didn't perform as strongly as their New Hampshire peers during the month, with hold in the Bay State coming in at 8.5% for March, tied for fourth lowest. 

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ New Hampshire 4.7
2 Nevada 5.3
3 Arizona 8.3
T4 Iowa 8.5
T4 Massachusetts 8.5
6 New Jersey 9.1
7 New York 9.1
T8 Pennsylvania 9.2
T8 Illinois 9.2
10 Colorado  9.3
11 Rhode Island 9.6
12 West Virginia 9.8
13 Indiana 10.1
14 Kansas 10.2
15 Connecticut 10.3
16 Mississippi 10.6
17 Virginia 10.8
18 Michigan

10.9
19 Arkansas 11.4
20 Tennessee 11.6
21 Oregon 12.1
22 Maryland 12.3
23 Wyoming 12.4
24 Washington, D.C. 12.6
25 Ohio 12.9
26 Louisiana 13.0
27 Montana 16.0
28 South Dakota 17.5
29 Delaware 17.9

February 2023: Kansas bettors beat the books

What happened in February that would have caused bettors in Kansas to have a hugely successful month? Ah, yes, of course, just the Kansas City Chiefs winning another Super Bowl, the biggest single game of the year for sportsbooks. 

Even though the Chiefs are based in Missouri, plenty across the state line in Kansas support and wager on them just as fanatically. The negative hold for Kansas sportsbooks in February suggests as much and ranks Kansas bettors as the best for the month.

Who fared the worse? Montana bettors had the roughest February, followed closely by punters in Ohio. While residents in those two states had their reasons for losing at a 13% clip or more, it's more entertaining to note that Pennsylvania players were tied with their counterparts in Tennessee for the 23rd worst in February, as the state's sportsbooks reported a 10.4% hold. This is likely due in no small part to the Philadelphia Eagles losing the Big Game, at a steep cost to Keystone State bettors.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Kansas -0.4
2 Colorado 5.3
T3 Arizona 5.8
T3 Arkansas 5.8
T5 Iowa 6.1
T5 Massachusetts  6.1
7 Nevada 6.3
8 New Jersey 6.4
9 Michigan 6.5
10 West Virginia 6.9
11 New York 7.3
12 Illinois 7.8
T13 Indiana 7.9
T13 Mississippi 7.9
15 Connecticut 8.0
T16 New Hampshire 8.2
T16 Washington, D.C.  8.2
18 Rhode Island 8.4
19 Oregon 8.8
20 Delaware 9.1
21 Virginia 9.2
22 Wyoming 9.5
T23 Tennessee 10.4
T23 Pennsylvania 10.4
25 South Dakota 10.7
T26 Louisiana 11.8
T26 Maryland 11.8
28 Montana 12.8
29 Ohio 13.0

January 2023: Nevada keeps its crown

Nevada sports betting wagerers had the best start to 2023, as the legion of sharps and a historically (and, now, relatively) lower hold rate helped position the state atop our chart for January. Think about it: Why crush the tourists in the sportsbook when you can do it at the tables instead?

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum was Delaware, where bettors were pounded during the month to a national-best 27.5% hold for sportsbook operators (and, therefore, a national worse for bettors). 

In Delaware, where the state's lottery controls legal sports betting, a hold of more than 20% is typical. Gamblers must go to a casino to make a single wager. However, Delaware also offers a football parlay game at lottery retailers, which can hike the state's overall win rate as bettors lose parlays more often than single bets.  

Of note: Legal Ohio sports betting launched in January, and Buckeye State bettors took a beating in their first month of official wagering. Indeed, an 18.8% hold for Ohio's retail and online sportsbooks for the month suggests it was a rough start for players.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 5.4
2 Colorado 6.5
3 New Jersey 6.7
4 Michigan 6.9
5 Iowa 7.1
6 Kansas 7.3
7 Washington, D.C.  7.4
8 Pennsylvania 7.5
9 Arizona  8.0
10 West Virginia 8.1
T11 New York 8.3
T11 Rhode Island 8.3
T11 Indiana 8.3
14 Arkansas 8.7
T15 Illinois 8.9
T15 Mississippi 8.9
17 Virginia 9.7
18 Tennessee 10.1
19 Connecticut 10.5
20 Wyoming 11.1
21 Oregon 12.1
T22 New Hampshire 12.7
T22 Louisiana 12.7
24 Maryland 13.5
25 South Dakota 13.6
26 Montana 13.7
27 Ohio 18.8
28 Delaware 27.5

2022: Four in a row for Nevada

In a shocking twist, bettors in Nevada, the state that has long had legal sports betting and is home to some of the country’s sharpest gamblers, fared the best in 2022. OK, maybe it’s not all that shocking. But it happened, and the reasons above help explain why. 

2022 was a busy year for sports betting across the U.S. Online New York sports betting officially launched, turning the state into the biggest legal sports betting market in the country. Louisiana sportsbooks also launched online in 2022, as did Maryland sports betting in the latter half of the year. Moreover, the groundwork was laid for the January 1, 2023, launch of sports betting in Ohio, which became another significant market overnight.

And, yes, Delaware bettors had a rough year, as the state posted a hold of 21%, the highest in the country. This is what happens when a state loves its parlay cards.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 5.1
2 Colorado 6.8
3 New Jersey 7.0
4 Iowa 7.1
5 New Hampshire 7.5
6 Arizona 8.0
T7 Illinois 8.2
T7 Pennsylvania 8.2
9 New York 8.4
T10 Indiana 8.7
T10 Michigan 8.7
T12 Connecticut 8.9
T12 West Virginia 8.9
T14 Louisiana 9.3
T14 Rhode Island 9.3
16 Arkansas 9.6
T17 Tennessee 9.8
T17 Virginia 9.8
19 Oregon 9.9
20 Wyoming 10.2
21 Kansas 10.6
22 Washington, D.C.  10.7
23 Mississippi 11.4
24 South Dakota 12.1
25 Montana 13.6
26 Maryland 15.2
27 Delaware 21.0
  • New York data includes online sports betting and retail wagering at four commercial casinos.
  • Montana data encompasses April 2022 to December 2022 only.

2021: Nevada makes it three straight

How does a state's hold shrink? A lot of sharps making a lot of bets, which happened in Nevada in 2021. Bettors won at the highest clip of anywhere in the U.S. during the year, in which some legal markets were still finding their footing. 

In Maryland, for instance, legal sports betting began in late 2021 at casinos, but there were no authorized online wagering options during the year. Maryland wound up with the second-highest hold in the U.S. for 2021, trailing only Delaware, which, again, loves its parlay cards.

But there's more: There were several other milestones for the legal sports betting industry in 2021, including an online-only launch in Virginia and a more fulsome debut in Arizona.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 5.5
2 Iowa 6.1
3 New Hampshire 6.2
4 Colorado 6.5
T5 New Jersey 7.5
T5 Illinois 7.5
7 Pennsylvania 7.7
8 Michigan 8.0
9 Indiana 8.1
10 Rhode Island 8.5
11 West Virginia 8.6
12 Tennessee 8.8
13 Virginia 8.9
T14 Oregon 9.2
T14 Arizona 9.2
T14 Connecticut 9.2
17 South Dakota 9.6
18 Wyoming 9.9
19 Mississippi 11.2
20 New York 11.8
21 Arkansas 12.6
22 Washington, D.C. 13.2
23 Louisiana 15.0
24 Maryland 19.2
25 Delaware 20.9
  • Arizona, South Dakota, and Wyoming data begins in September 2021.
  • Connecticut data begins in October 2021. 
  • Louisiana data begins in November 2021. 
  • Maryland data begins in December 2021. 
  • New York data comprises wagering at four commercial casinos from April to December.

2020: Nevada goes back-to-back

Yes, Nevada bettors were the top-performing punters in the U.S. in 2020. See above. And, yes, bettors using Delaware sportsbooks were the worst-performing punters. Again: see above.

Still, some fairly big changes happened during 2020, such as an online-only Tennessee sports betting launch (which had a unique 10% annual hold requirement for operators) and a retail and mobile start for Colorado sportsbooks. Those launches took place as the COVID-19 pandemic buffeted the gaming industry.

Legal Michigan sports betting launched in 2020 as well, although online wagering wouldn't begin until early 2021. Illinois sports betting, of the retail variety, started in March 2020, but a mobile version didn't arrive until June.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 6.0
2 Colorado 6.4
3 New Jersey 6.6
4 Illinois 6.7
5 West Virginia 6.8
6 Iowa 7.2
7 Pennsylvania  7.5
8 Indiana 7.7
9 New Hampshire 8.1
10 Tennessee 8.7
11 Oregon 9.2
12 Rhode Island 10.8
13 Mississippi 12.0
14 Arkansas 13.1
15 Michigan 14.0
16 Washington, D.C. 16.8
17 Delaware 26.1

  • Illinois and Michigan data begins in March 2020.
  • Colorado and Washington, D.C. data begins in May 2020. 
  • Tennessee data begins in November 2020. 

2019: Nevada's bettors are sharpest

With legal sports betting merely starting to ramp up its expansion in 2019, Nevada players narrowly edged out their NJ sports betting counterparts for the title of best bettors in the U.S. Meanwhile, parlay-happy Delaware placed last in the nation with a nearly 20% hold.

Rank State Hold %
1⭐ Nevada 6.2
T2 New Jersey 6.5
T2 Oregon 6.5
4 Rhode Island 7.2
5 Pennsylvania 7.5
6 West Virginia 8.5
7 Iowa 9.1
8 Indiana 9.5
9 Arkansas 11.8
10 Mississippi 12.0
11 New Hampshire 12.4
12 Delaware 19.5

  • Arkansas data begins in July 2019. 
  • Iowa data begins in August 2019. 
  • Indiana data begins in September 2019. 
  • Oregon data begins in October 2019. 
  • New Hampshire data is December 2019 only. 
  • West Virginia numbers are a projection using the state's weekly data reporting.

Quick facts: States with the winningest sports bettors

State with best sports bettors 2023 New Hampshire⭐
Lowest hold percentage 2023 4.7% in March
The busiest time for sportsbooks Super Bowl⭐
Average hold percentage 2018 (6.7%) - 2022 (8.1%)
States with legal sports betting 33 plus DC ✅
Legal and pending states 4
State with the highest tax rate New York (51%)
Legal age for betting 21; 18 (MT, NH, RI, WY)

Which states are included in our analysis?

In 2023, legal sports betting transpires in 33 states, plus DC. Several of those states factor prominently into our analysis of the states with the winningest sports bettors.

Additional markets including Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, and Vermont, have active sports betting legislation on the table. 

State Launch date
September 2021
July 2019
May 2020
September 2021
March 2020
September 2019
August 2019
September 2022
January 2022
Maryland November 2022
Massachusetts March 2023
January 2021
July 2019
June 2018
January 2022
January 2023
October 2019
November 2018
November 2020
January 2021
August 2018
September 2021

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Michael McClymont - Senior News Editor at Covers.com
Senior News Editor

Michael McClymont started with Covers in 2023 and provides coverage on industry news. Prior to joining Covers, he was a publishing editor at Sportsbook Review and also worked at theScore as a writer and editor. Mike has more than 15 years of experience in the journalism industry.