The Massachusetts sports betting market is on fire, and it doesn’t look like it will fizzle out anytime soon. December saw MA sportsbooks record the highest handle ever in the short history of Massachusetts sports wagering.
According to the December revenue report from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Bay State sports bettors wagered $658.6 million with online and retail operators. That’s the most money wagered on sports since MA online sports betting launched in March.
Online operators the vast majority of the handle, taking over $643.1 million of the bets. Meanwhile, the three retail sportsbooks in Massachusetts took $15.5 million in wagers. December’s handle was over $4.2 million more than what was wagered in November, the previous record holder of most money wagered in a month.
Operators generated $60.5 million in taxable sports wagering revenue from December’s handle. As a result, the state received $12 million in sports betting tax payments.
Since legal sports wagering launched earlier this year, Massachusetts online and retail sportsbooks have handled around $4.9 billion in bets while recording $471.1 million in taxable MA sports betting revenue. Thus, those operators paid approximately $93.8 million to the state.
Massachusetts sports betting 2023 totals
- Total bets placed: $4,946,326,347.07
- Taxable revenue: $471,198,639.76
- Taxes for Massachusetts: $93,893,563.09
DraftKings ends 2023 as the unquestioned ‘top dog’ of MA online sportsbooks
It’s time for the monthly praising of DraftKings Massachusetts. The home-field advantage for the Boston-based operator has been working to perfection all year. Massachusetts has eight licensed online sportsbooks, but DraftKings dominated the field from the start.
In December, DraftKings took 49.1% of the state’s sports betting market share, accepting $315.8 million in bets. It’s important to note that both those numbers are lower than they were in November. However, DraftKings is maintaining a tight grip on the No. 1 spot in the MA sports betting market.
MA online sportsbooks December 2023 revenue figures
| 📱 Sportsbook | 💰 December Handle | 📈 Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $315.8 Million | 49.1% |
| FanDuel | $187.3 Million | 29.1% |
| ESPN BET | $49.9 Million | 7.7% |
| BetMGM | $39.1 Million | 6% |
| Caesars | $24.2 Million | 3.7% |
| Fanatics | $13.6 Million | 2.1% |
| WynnBET | $12.4 Million | 1.9% |
| Betr | $498,897 | 0.07% |
| TOTAL | $643.1 Million |
Plainridge Park Casino widens retail betting lead over Encore
Plainridge Park Casino retained its title as the No. 1 Massachusetts retail sportsbook in December. They handled over $7.2 million in sports wagers over the course of the month. The site won over $552,200 from bettors, generating about $534,4oo in taxable gaming revenue.
Encore Boston Harbor was the most profitable in-person sportsbook every month until November. The venue still had a good December, taking over $6.3 million in bets. The venue won just over $515,300 and reported $499,400 in taxable gaming revenue.
Meanwhile, numbers from MGM Springfield show that $1.9 million in total handle was collected, generating $259,500 in taxable gaming revenue.
According to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s monthly report, the $15.5 million taken in bets by the three retail sportsbooks for December was $2.1 million less than what was wagered in November.
