The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) reported on Thursday that sports betting grew by 21% during a July highlighted by the knockout rounds of the FIFA World Cup.
Key Takeaways
- Massachusetts sports betting produced the first handle under $600 million since August 2025.
- The World Cup helped generate $122 million in operator gross revenue this summer.
- Five online sportsbooks recorded double-digit win rates in July.
Online and retail sportsbooks generated a $592.6 million handle in July, up from $485.9 million bet during the same month in 2025. Wagering has topped $500 million for the past 12 months, but July marked the first time since last August that the handle dipped below $600 million.
Still, the biggest soccer event on the planet gave the Bay State a significant boost, and operators profited well from it. Gross revenue reached $67 million, a 36.2% year-over-year increase.
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Tax revenue rises
Double-digit win rates returned in July, reaching 11.3% a month after operators generated the second hold under 10% this year. July’s win rate is the fourth highest of 2026.
The U.S. men’s national team’s early World Cup success and the Knicks winning the NBA title kept Massachusetts revenue down in June, but with Team USA getting knocked out in the round of 16 by Belgium and a few big favorites failing to win on the 3-way moneyline, big profits returned for operators.
Over the two months that included the World Cup, Massachusetts online sports betting operators produced over $122 million in gross revenue from $1.2 billion in wagers. The Bay State hauled in $13.1 million in tax revenue during July to fill the coffers with nearly $24 million during the World Cup, a 9% increase from the same two months in 2025.
Big holds
| Online Operator | July Handle | Gross Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $281.2 million | $33 million |
| FanDuel | $150.6 million | $17.2 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $59.7 million | $6.6 million |
| BetMGM | $52.8 million | $6.5 million |
| theScore Bet | $22 million | $1.7 million |
| Caesars | $17.6 million | $1.2 million |
DraftKings led all operators with over $281 million wagered in July, generating 19% more handle than the same month in 2025, while gross revenue of $33 million grew by more than $8 million on an 11.7% hold. FanDuel’s 11.4% hold on a $150.6 million handle produced $17.2 million in profits for the month, a nearly $5 million year-over-year increase.
Fanatics held on to the third handle spot with $59.7 million in wagers, while BetMGM produced a state-best 12.4% hold from a $52.8 million handle. TheScore Bet moved ahead of Caesars with a $22 million handle 7.6% hold that produced $1.7 million in gross revenue.
Caesars generated the state’s lowest July hold, falling below 8% on a $17.6 million handle, while Bally Bet won back 12% of $3.3 million in wagers.
Retail operator struggles
Only two of the Bay State’s three retail sportsbooks reported a profit in July. Encore Boston Harbor generated a 9.7% win rate on $2.9 million in wagers, while Plainridge Park Casino reported a 9.9% hold on a handle just under $2 million.
MGM Springfield produced no revenue from a $678,454 handle. The MGC reported an 8.6% hold for retail sports betting and less than $70,000 in tax revenue.
