Virginia sports betting handle up in December but AGR well off record

The Virginia Lottery reported on 31 January that AGR in December amounted to $43.9 million (£35.6 million/€42.8 million). This falls short of $57.2 million in the previous year and 45.5% of November’s $80.6 million record.

All AGR in December came from online betting, with retail sports wagering at casinos leaving a $12,883 loss.

Virginia players spend $729.5 million on betting

As for spending, total handle for December was $734.4 million. This beats the previous year by 16% but is 3.5% behind the record $761 million bet in November. It is, however, the second-highest monthly amount on record.

Players wagered $729.5 million online during December and a further $4.9 million at retail facilities inside casinos.

This resulted in a state-wide hold of 5.98% for the month. Player winnings in December hit $684.8 million.

Tax tops $6.6 million in December

In terms of tax, Virginia collected $6.6 million from sports betting, just over half the record $12.1 million generated in November. Wagering is taxed at 15% of each operator’s AGR.

Of this tax, $6.4 million was sent to the General Fund Allocation. The remaining $164,958 went to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund Allocation.

The Virginia Lottery does not publish a full monthly breakdown of operator performance. In total, 13 mobile sportsbooks were active in December, plus three retail facilities.