Massachusetts sports betting activity surged in August with the start of football season always driving increased action, with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) reporting $447.3 million in total wagers collected across all retail and online sportsbooks in the Bay State driving the year-to-date handle above $4.4 billion.
Total handle grew 8.6% month-over-month, contributing to a significant 71.5% year-to-date increase in overall wagering activity through the first eight months of the year.
Despite the surge in bets, local sports betting operators generated less revenue in August than they did in July. August’s revenue haul finished at $34.5 million on a 7.71% hold, which fell shy of July’s $42.2 million which came from the second-best hold percentage of 2024 (10.26%).
Yet, sportsbooks in Massachusetts have still managed to earn $403 million year-to-date, which is 55.4% more year-to-date than they did through August 2023, so the metrics are still trending in a positive direction.
State coffers collected $6.65 million in tax contributions from August’s activity, bringing the year-to-date total to $78.4 million. The MGC also noted that roughly $173.25 million in total taxes and assessments have been collected since sports betting launched Jan. 31, 2023.
Trending upwards
The Massachusetts sports betting market has been a juggernaut in the U.S. legal sports betting industry since its inception. It’s firmly in the top 10 in terms of handle on a regular basis, and the marketplace will grow even further now that Massachusetts online lottery is set to launch December 2025.
Total handle skyrocketed 63% from August to September of last year, and it seems sportsbooks in Massachusetts could be poised to enjoy another sizable spike this month.
Best Massachusetts sportsbooks
The Bay State doesn’t boast a considerable array of sports betting brands to choose from, with just three retail sportsbooks and seven online sportsbooks in Massachusetts. But, these operators still pack a punch.
A total $7.63 million in retail wagers were cast across Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino with the three retail sportsbooks combining for $466,800 in total revenue.
Encore Boston Harbor handled more than 50% of the retail action with a $4.11 million handle, generating $194,438 in revenue from that. Plainridge Park Casino won the revenue battle though with $204,100 out of its $2.73 million handle.
MGM Springfield did not reach $1 million in handle ($781,229) or $100,000 in revenue ($68,293).
Online sportsbooks dominate in Massachusetts
Massachusetts’ online sports betting sites topped $4.3 billion in year-to-date handle after hauling in $439.7 million in online wagers last month, producing $34.03 million from that action.
DraftKings once again accounted for more than half of the market, outpacing its bitter rival FanDuel by more than $111 million. DraftKings and FanDuel were the only two online operators to reach nine-figure handle marks, and were also the only two to hit eight figures in revenue.
BetMGM sits pretty firmly in third place, while Fanatics strengthened its hold on fourth.
ESPN BET and Caesars were neck and neck, but the latter suffered the worst hold percentage out of the field (4.46%).
Bally Bet only launched in Massachusetts in July, and trails the rest of the field by a sizable margin.
| Operator | August Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $229.4 million | $16.8 million |
| FanDuel | $118.2 million | $10.9 million |
| BetMGM | $31.1 million | $2.35 million |
| Fanatics | $25.9 million | $1.62 million |
| ESPN BET | $16.7 million | $1.36 million |
| Caesars | $15.99 million | $713,939 |
| Bally Bet | $2.43 million | $228,457 |
Limits or No Limits
The discussion about imposing sports bettor limits has heated up in MGC meetings of late.
An extended conversation about this polarizing topic took place in the MGC’s Sept. 11 meeting. It’s been a long time coming after the Bay State’s active sportsbook operators declined to participate in a roundtable on the matter back in May.
Covers’ Geoff Zochodne has more on what turned into a two-plus hour discussion.
