Bay State wagering dipped in April, but profits still surged for sports betting operators, which follows a trend seen in several other jurisdictions.
Key Takeaways
- Massachusetts posted a far smaller handle decline than three other major betting states.
- Combined revenue for March and April is up 24% year over year.
- DraftKings scored a massive win to lead all online operators in profits.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) recently reported a $678.4-millon handle, a 1.7% year-over-year handle decrease. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and North Carolina each experienced at least a 6% year-over-year decline in wagering.
The Bay State’s latest handle is the third consecutive amount wagered below $700 million, a streak that followed five straight months over that mark.
Like many states, however, Massachusetts revenue spiked year over year, growing 23.3%. Online and retail sportsbooks hauled in a combined $83.4 million, nearly matching the 2026 high of $84 millon won by operators in January.
A massive 12.3% April hold was a significant increased from the 9.8% produced during the same month in 2025, and it was Bay State sportsbooks’ best win rate since last May. Online operators won back 12.31% on a $670.6-million handle, while the state’s three retail sportsbooks finished with an 11.2% hold on $7.7 million in bets.
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Major months
Massachusetts sports betting operators dominated during a month that featured the start of the NBA and NHL playoffs, the Final Four, the first full month of MLB, and the Masters.
Combined with March's $67.6 million, thanks to a much more profitable NCAA Tournament, Massachusetts sportsbooks made $151 million over the last two months, a 24% increase from the same period in 2025.
April’s $81.8 million in adjusted revenue produced $16.3 million in tax revenue for the state, which has hauled in over $60 million from sports betting year-to-date.
Big revenue
| Online Operator | April Handle | Gross Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $335.1 million | $44 million |
| FanDuel | $167.7 million | $22.5 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $70.8 million | $6.6 million |
| BetMGM | $50 million | $5.6 million |
| Caesars | $24 million | $1.4 million |
| theScore Bet | $18.4 million | $2 million |
DraftKings massively benefited from the profitable April. The state’s top online operator generated $44 million in gross revenue from a $335.1-million handle. DraftKings has made at least $33 million in each of the first four months of 2026.
However, its 13.1% win rate was slightly bested by FanDuel, which held 13.4% of a $167.7-million handle, generating over $22 million in gross revenue. Fanatics was one of just two online operators to fail to reach double digits, winning back 9.4% of a $70.8-million handle.
BetMGM got its hold to 11.24%, the third best among Massachusetts operators. Bay State bettors kept Caesars’ win rate below 6% on a $24-million handle, while theScore Bet kept 10.8% of $18.4 million. Bally Bet recorded a 10.55% hold on $4.6 million in wagers.
