Big Sports Betting Numbers Rolling in Across the U.S.

While states like Florida and Ohio struggle to get sports betting legislation on the books, there are a bunch of states that are seeing sports betting handle and related gross revenue hitting record levels. October 2021 was the first full month of NCAA FB and NFL game action since sports betting became legal in many states. If there were any doubts about how much American sports bettors wanted the right to legally bet on football games, the October numbers remove that doubt.

In Pennsylvania, October was a record-breaking month across the casino/sports gambling industry. The focus was on sports betting where PA sports bettors managed to push $776.3 through retail and online sports betting windows. Of that number, more than $714.0 million came from online bettors. New benchmarks were also set for online casino gambling ($102.9 million) and retail casino revenue, which came in at slightly over $425.0 million. PA poker lagged slightly but still managed to record the third-highest revenue month since inception.

It’s worth noting that gross revenue from all sports betting sources was only slightly more than the next highest total, which was recorded in May of 2021. Kudos goes to PA sports bettors who put a lot of pressure on bookmakers during the entire month of October.

Big Sports Betting Numbers Reported by Michigan in October

As the Michigan state legislature looks at the possibility of legalizing “Historical Horse Racing” machines in casinos and race tracks, sports bettors and casino gamblers in the state have made clear they have a fondness for online betting, especially on football games.

For the month of October, the Michigan Gaming Control Board has reported that state retail and online bookmakers and casinos took in $497.6 million in betting activity. That smashes the previous record of just over $359.0 million, which was set in May of 2021. Of that record number, $463.3 came from online sources, yet another record. The only disappointing number reported was sports betting “hold”, which came in at a paltry 5.2%. As was the case in PA, October was a good month for astute sports bettors.

A lot of betting interest was directed at five weeks of NFL and NCAA football action, which included the October 30 showdown between Michigan and Michigan State. At the time, both teams were ranked in the Top 10, something that motivated the state’s sports bettors to get in on the action.

Update on Sports Betting in Maryland

While many states are basking in the glory of sports betting handle and revenue, it appears the state of Maryland will not see sports betting until early 2022.

While that’s a little disheartening for sports bettors, they can take solace in the fact the MD Sports Wagering Application Review Commission has approved five of six casinos for retail sports betting operations. According to the Commission, each of the approved operators will need to wait 45 days before they can accept live wagers. That puts the target date at some time in early January 2022.