Massachusetts sports betting extended its streak of $800-million handles to four consecutive months after another high-volume January.
Key Takeaways
- Massachusetts wagering increased, but operators won back 12.6% less than in January 2025.
- The 10.4% hold was the third win rate to reach double digits.
- DraftKings more than doubled FanDuel’s monthly handle.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission reported on Friday that online and retail sportsbooks generated $808.9 million to kick off 2026.
Wagering in the Bay State rose 6.1% compared to January 2025 during a month with the NFL postseason, a significant amount of the College Football Playoff, and plenty of NBA and NHL action.
Massachusetts sports betting revenue fell 12.6% year over year to $84.4 million in January. Mobile sportsbooks hauled in over $84 million on a handle of $797.1 million.
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Holding strong
The overall hold of 10.4% represented the Bay State’s third consecutive double-digit win rate, but it was down from the previous January’s 12.6%, the highest in 2025. Taxable revenue of $82.4 million led to $16.5 million in tax revenue for the Bay State, which received nearly $84 million from sportsbooks last year.
Retail sportsbooks brought the overall hold down, winning back just $332,537 on an $11.8-million handle. Encore Boston Harbor was the only in-person operator of the three to get a hold above 3%. The casino generated a state-best $5.8 million sports betting handle.
DraftKings dominates
| Online Operator | January Handle | Gross Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $418.3 million | $45.8 million |
| FanDuel | $199.6 million | $23.7 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $62.5 million | $5.8 million |
| BetMGM | $57 million | $4.7 million |
| Caesars | $31.1 million | $1.6 million |
| theScore Bet | $22.7 million | $1.9 million |
DraftKings more than doubled FanDuel in handle, reaching over $418 million in wagers during January. The leader in Massachusetts online sports betting won back 11% for gross revenue of $45.8 million, down from December's $53.4 million.
FanDuel produced a higher January hold of 11.9% but on a $199.3-million handle. No other mobile sports betting operators had a double-digit hold.
Fanatics maintained its grasp on third place with a $62.5-million handle. A 9.3% hold produced $5.8 million in January. BetMGM won back 8.2% on a $57-million handle, while Caesars failed to get to 6% from $31.1 million in wagers.
theScore Bet was able to get to 8.4% on a $22.7-million handle. Bally Bet won back 9.3% from $5.8 million in wagers.
