The Massachusetts sports betting market is hotter than ever.
According to the November revenue report from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Bay State sports bettors wagered $654.4 million with online and retail operators. That’s the most money wagered on sports since MA online sports betting launched in March.
November’s handle was over $82.6 million more than what was wagered in October, the previous record holder of most money wagered in a month. That’s a 14.4% month-to-month increase.
Operators generated $48.9 million in taxable sports wagering revenue from November’s handle. As a result, the state received $9.7 million in sports betting tax payments in November.
Since legal sports wagering launched earlier this year, Massachusetts online and retail sportsbooks have handled around $4.2 billion in bets while recording $410.6 million in taxable MA sports betting revenue. Thus, those operators paid approximately $81.8 million to the state.
DraftKings remains the dominant figure among MA online sportsbooks
Like in most states with legal sports betting, most bets in Massachusetts are placed online. The state boasts eight licensed online sportsbooks, but one has stood head and shoulders above the other all year long.
The home-field advantage is alive and well for Boston-based DraftKings MA. In November, the operator took 50.2% of the state’s sports betting market share, accepting $319.9 million worth of bets.
Here is a look at how all eight Massachusetts sportsbooks faired in November in terms of handle:
| 📱 Sportsbook | 💰 November Handle | 📈 Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $319.9 Million | 50.2% |
| FanDuel | $181.5 Million | 28.5% |
| Barstool / ESPN BET | $39 Million | 6.1% |
| BetMGM | $38.9 Million | 6.1% |
| Caesars | $27.3 Million | 4.2% |
| Fanatics | $15.8 Million | 2.4% |
| WynnBET | $13.8 Million | 2.1% |
| Betr | $194,500 | 0.03% |
| TOTAL | $636.7 Million |
ESPN BET seeing massive early success in MA sports betting market
The biggest surge in market share came from ESPN BET Massachusetts. PENN’s new sports betting app launched in mid-November, replacing Barstool Sportsbook.
In October, Barstool took the fifth-most money in bets, trailing the third-place BetMGM Sportsbook by a wide margin. However, the half-month effort from the ESPN BET launch catapulted PENN’s licensed online sportsbooks to the third position, taking over $39 million in bets in November.
The anticipation for ESPN BET’s launch and the sportsbook promotions played a prominent role in the jump. December will indicate where the rebranded site stacks up against Massachusetts’s other online betting sites.
Plainridge Park Casino steals retail sports betting crown from Encore
In a shocking upset, a new No. 1 is in the Massachusetts retail sports betting market. Plainridge Park Casino handled more money in sports wagers in November than the other two in-person sportsbooks. It’s the first time since the legal sports betting launch that Encore Boston Harbor hasn’t grabbed hold of the top spot.
Plainridge Park handled over $7.7 million in sports wagers in November. However, bettors had a good month at PPC, with the sportsbook only winning around $33,100. Those winnings turned into about $13,700 in taxable gaming revenue.
Encore Boston Harbor still had a good month in November, taking over $7 million in bets. The venue won just over $306,000 and reported $288,000 in taxable gaming revenue.
Meanwhile, numbers from MGM Springfield show $2.9 million in total handle was collected, generating $67,800 in taxable gaming revenue.
According to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s monthly report, the $17.6 million taken in bets by the three retail sportsbooks for November was the third-most monthly total ever and the most since March.
