Iowa sports betting revenue bounces back in December despite handle drop
| By Robert Fletcher
Sports betting revenue in Iowa rocketed 251.7% month-on-month in December despite a decline in player spending, while the state also reported year-on-year declines in handle.
Revenue for the month reached $20.4m (£16.8m/€19.1m), which was 52.2% up from $13.4m in December of 2021. This was also comfortably higher than $5.8m in November 2022 when Iowa suffered a sharp decline following multi-million-dollar winning bet payouts to US businessman Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.
Figures published by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) showed that of total revenue posted in December, $17.6m came from online sports betting, while a further $3.1m was attributed to retail sportsbook activity.