The Washington Wizards season ended in April, but Marylanders still like to wager on the NBA. Over a quarter of the action last month went to professional basketball, while baseball (and the more optimistic Baltimore Orioles) saw 16%. Either way, without the NFL, Marylanders still found reasons to bet.
Maryland Lottery and Gaming reported sportsbooks in the Old Line State accepted a combined $486.3 million in bets last month. April’s handle is the highest non-football month since Maryland launched sports betting in 2022.
Online operators held 10.5% of their action leading to $50 million in gross revenue. The retail market struggled a bit, keeping 2.9% of their bets and ending up with $329,000. The statewide hold came in at 10.4% and the subsequent tax bill brought Maryland’s education fund $5.7 million — the fourth highest on record.
Year-over-year numbers also show the state’s sports betting market is growing. The tax bill was 47.1% higher vs. 2023, and handle saw an even better 48% yearly increase.
Top retail locations struggled to profit
The popularity of Maryland operators hasn’t really changed. FanDuel saw the most action in the mobile space, while MGM’s National Harbor casino was the place to be on the retail side.
While National Harbor accepted half a million more in handle compared to FanDuel’s Live! Casino, they may not be celebrating. Their -2.7% hold meant they paid out nearly $100,000 more than they took in last month. FanDuel, while profitable, ended with a 2.8% hold (below the statewide average).
No other location had more than $1 million in bets. Caesars’ Baltimore casino came in at $952,000, but they, too, didn’t come away with any revenue after their 0.2% hold.
Below are the rankings for the online books:
|
Operator |
April Handle |
Revenue |
|
FanDuel |
$221 million |
$21.7 million |
|
DraftKings |
$141.7 million |
$10 million |
|
ESPN Bet |
$35.5 million |
$811,000 |
|
BetMGM |
$34.3 million |
$3.5 million |
|
Caesars |
$19.2 million |
$545,000 |
|
Fanatics |
$14.5 million |
$424,000 |
|
BetRivers |
$6.3 million |
$338,000 |
|
BetParx |
$596,000 |
$70,000 |
|
BetFred |
$595,000 |
$13,000 |
|
SuperBook |
$584,000 |
$15,000 |
|
Crab Sports |
$378,000 |
$0 |
