Empire State sports bettors enjoyed a much improved first month of NFL and college football compared to the previous September.
- New York’s sports betting handle rose 5% year over year to $2.4 billion.
- Gross revenue fell 17.7% year over year.
- Only two operators saw month-over-month revenue growth.
The New York State Gaming Commission recently reported that its eight online sportsbooks produced a 6.6% hold in September, down considerably from last year's 8.4% and the lowest-ever hold in the first month of football's regular season.
The handle reached $2.4 billion, up 5% year over year despite one fewer NFL week than in September 2025.
Despite the higher handle, sportsbooks generated $159.4 million in gross New York revenue, down 17.7% from September 2025. All eight operators increased their handle from August, but only two posted month-over-month revenue growth.
Tough Week 1
The NFL's Week 1 was a rough start for sportsbooks, which generated just $16.96 million in revenue from nearly $595 million in wagers. Eight favorites covered the spread during September’s Week 1 slate, including the Buffalo Bills, while the New York Jets and Giants won outright as underdogs.
Weekly revenue improved as September progressed, with underdogs covering more spreads and disrupting moneyline parlays. No week produced a double-digit hold, and the month also marked the end of the MLB regular season.
New York sports betting generated $81.3 million in taxes in September, bringing the year-to-date total to nearly $900 million.
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FanDuel back on top
| Online Operator | September Handle | Gross Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $904.7 million | $63.3 million |
| DraftKings | $840.1 million | $56 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $266.8 million | $14.3 million |
| Caesars | $152.7 million | $7.9 million |
| BetMGM | $148.4 million | $10 million |
FanDuel reclaimed the state’s handle lead after ranking second in each of the previous two months. Its $904.7-million handle was its highest since November 2025, when it surpassed $1 billion, and represented a 14% year-over-year increase. The operator posted a 7% hold, above the statewide average but below its 9.8% hold in September 2025.
DraftKings reached the statewide hold average on $840.1 million in wagers, about $40 million less than in September 2025.
Fanatics won back 5.4% on a $266.8-million handle, its second highest in 2026. Caesars finished fourth with a $152.7-million handle, but customers kept the hold below 5.2%. BetMGM generated $10 million in revenue on a $148.4-million handle that was down slightly from the previous September.
BetRivers posted a 7.7% hold on nearly $44 million in wagers. theScore Bet generated $2.8 million in gross revenue from $31.6 million in wagers, while Bally Bet generated $1.2 million from $13.4 million. The two operators were the only sportsbooks to post month-over-month revenue increases.
Battling prediction markets
New York’s September handle got off to a strong start to the football season despite prediction markets continuing to operate in the state.
State officials continue to challenge sports event contracts offered by Kalshi and other prediction market operators. Last week, New York regulators asked a Manhattan court to compel Kalshi to comply with investigative subpoenas seeking records on its sports event contracts, offerings available to residents under 21, advertising that describes its products as wagers or bets, and its ownership and corporate structure.
New York is among more than a dozen states involved in legal disputes with prediction market operators.
