The Bay State saw significant financial year-over-year sports betting improvements in April.
Key takeaways
- April’s handle increased 14.4% while revenue surged 33.6% compared to the same month in 2024.
- Operator-friendly outcomes from the NBA and NHL Playoffs provided a reprieve from March’s struggles.
- DraftKings generated 13% more year-over-year wagers.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission reported Tuesday a monthly $690.2 million handle, a 14.4% increase from April 2024. Gross revenue for Massachusetts online sports betting and retail sportsbooks surged 33.6% year-over-year to $67.6 million.
April's 9.8% hold rose from the previous year’s 8.4% win rate, but was the second consecutive hold under double digits.
The Bay State collected $13.2 million in tax income from operators’ $65.9 million in adjusted revenue, increasing its year-to-date haul to over $55 million.
April showers
March 2025 didn’t deliver big gains for sportsbooks, as a lack of upsets in the NCAA tournaments led to the Bay State's second-lowest record hold. It was especially troubling for operators during the third-highest monthly handle ever in Massachusetts.
The NBA and NHL Playoffs delivered more operator-friendly results in April. Month-over-month revenue increased 24.7%, and April's hold jumped over 2 points despite a 10.6% handle decrease from March.
Still, bettors wagered more than $600 million each month in Massachusetts dating back to September 2024.
DraftKings leads books
| Online Operator | April Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $343 million | $38.6 million |
| FanDuel | $185.9 million | $18.4 million |
| BetMGM | $55.1 million | $4.1 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $49.3 million | $3.2 million |
| ESPN BET | $21.7 million | $1.9 million |
| Caesars | $21.1 million | $752,304 |
Massachusetts online sports betting accounted for $680.5 million of the total April handle. The seven mobile sportsbooks combined for a 9.86% hold.
DraftKings led all operators with a $343 million handle, a nearly 13% increase from April 2024, but down over $9 million from the previous month. The online book’s $38.6 million in gross revenue and 11.26% hold were also the commonwealth's best.
FanDuel continued to be a distant second to rival DraftKings, headquartered in Massachusetts, with a $185.9 million handle, down from $208 million in March. The operator’s $18.4 million income came from a hold that fell just below 10%.
BetMGM held off Fanatics Sportsbook for third place with a $55.1 million handle and $4.1 million in profit. Fanatics recorded a modest 6.6% hold from a $49.3 million haul. ESPN BET took in $21.7 million in wagers, just ahead of the $21.1 million Caesars generated. ESPN BET, though, enjoyed a solid 8.65% hold while Caesars recorded the month's lowest win rate at 3.56%.
Retail handle falls
Retail sports betting operators produced a 5.2% hold from a $9.7 million handle, an 8.5% dropoff from the previous month. Encore Boston Harbor led all brick-and-mortar sportsbooks with $4.9 million in wagers during April and a 7.8% hold.
Plainridge Park Casino generated a $3.1 million handle for the month but only won back 3.9%. MGM Springfield reported no revenue from a $1.6 million handle.
