US sports betting round-up: Banner September for DC, monthly records tumble in Maine
In the month that heralds the return of NFL betting, Washington DC’s newly liberalised market smashed records, while Maine kicked off football season strongly.
DC smashes sports betting records in September
Starting in DC, both sports betting revenue and handle reached all-time highs in September. Gross gaming revenue for the market reached $8.2m (£6.3m/€7.5m), up 82.2% from August and 331.6% ahead of last year.
In terms of player spending, this topped $58.8m, a new record for DC. The total is up 44.8% from August and 305.5% more than in September of 2023. This represents a total market hold of 13.95%
FanDuel still the one to beat in DC
Data from the DC Lottery and Office of Lottery and Gaming covers all operators licensed in the market. This includes several online brands that have launched in DC in recent months.
The DC Council in June decided to open the betting market. This allowed operators to roll out sports betting in DC, with Caesars, BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel among those now active.
FanDuel remains the runaway market leader with $4.4m in GGR from a $30.5m handle, a 14.43% hold. The operator had a headstart on the competition, launching in April after taking over sportsbook operations from Intralot’s much-maligned Gambet DC. From its April launch to July, when the competitive market opened, it recorded $78.5m in wagers.
BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook – active in the capital but limited to specific zones under toehold system – then launched citywide in July. DraftKings followed days later.
And DraftKings is FanDuel’s closest challenger, though it lags some way behind with $2.1m in GGR from $4.9m in stakes. DraftKings’ monthly hold for September was 14.09%.
Caesars reported $1.0m in revenue from $5.8m in wagers, for a 17.24% hold. BetMGM took $352,731 in GGR from a $6m handle (a 5.91% hold), and Fanatics (which launched in September) $119,142 from $728,539 for 16.35%.
Gambet, the DC Lottery’s former white-label platform, retains a small presence in DC, posting $179,850 in revenue from $826,405 wagered. However, last month it was revealed all remaining Gambet betting kiosks will soon be replaced by Caesars.
Maine sets new handle and revenue records in September
Moving north into Maine, the state’s Gambling Control Unit reported all-time high figures across both revenue and handle in September.
Adjusted gross receipts for the month hit $6.7m, up 86.1% from August. This also surpassed the existing record of $4.6m, set in November last year – the first month of legal betting.
As for handle, this amounted to $51.8m, another new record and 45.5% ahead of August. This suggests a statewide hold of 13.14% in Maine for September.
Breaking down the market by operator, DraftKings, working with the Passamaquoddy tribe, remains the clear leader. In September, the partnership generated $5.9m in adjusted gross receipts (AGR) from $46.6m in bets, a 12.66% hold
Caesars is the only other mobile operator in Maine, partnering with the Penobscot, Maliseet and Micmac tribes. For September, Caesars posted a $5.1m handle, and a 15.53% hold meant $788,768 in AGR.
September also saw Caesars become the first to operator to roll out retail betting in Maine. The Portland-based Oddfellahs sportsbook opened on 13 September in partnership with First Tracks Investments. During its opening weeks, the book generated $28,332 in AGR from $158,308 in bets, meaning a 17.90% hold.