Arizona Sports Betting Handle Down in April, But Still Above $500 Million

Arizona Sports Betting Handle Down in April, But Still Above $500 Million
Fact Checked by Michael Peters

The Arizona sports betting marketplace posted a total handle of $512.877 million in April, down more than 25% from March’s record-setting $690.979 million haul, but well ahead of the state’s totals for February.

Ted Vogt, who serves as the director of the Arizona Department of Gaming, called Arizona’s sports betting revenue report for April a strong one, showing where the state can go now that all 18 operators have gone live.

“Event wagering levels continue to look strong in Arizona, with over half a billion dollars wagered during April,” Vogt said in a department press release. “I am excited to see how the state closes out its first year of legal event wagering in the coming months.” 

Vogt said he has been surprised by the “pent-up demand” for sports betting in the state during an interview with BetArizona.com last week.

As far as taxes are concerned, Arizona raked in $1.6 million during April; the biggest tax month since sports betting launched was November, when $3.1 million was earned for the state.

Arizona has taken in nearly $12 million in taxes for the first seven-plus months sports betting has been legal. Operators gave out $12.7 million in free bets and promotional credits in April.  

Operators get a tax break on the free bets and promotional credits they offer during the first five years of sports betting in Arizona. That tax break is up to 20% of their gross wagers for the first two years. 

Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate & present in AZ. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.

Arizona Sports Betting, April vs. March

Total HandleMobile Handle Revenue
April$512.877M$509.516M$16.501M
March$690.979M$687.653M$18.668M
Change Down 25.8% Down 25.9% Down 11.8%


DraftKings Once Again Reigns Supreme in Arizona

For the seventh time in the first eight months, DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona came away as the state’s No. 1 handle generator.

The Boston-based sportsbook raked in $155.945 million in April, besting FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona ($149.833 million), BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona ($100.607 million), and Caesars Sportsbook Arizona ($62.308 million) in the state.

After that came Barstool Sportsbook ($16.807 million), WynnBET Arizona ($9.940 million), Rush Street Interactive ($6.220 million), SuperBook Sports ($1.936 million), Betfred ($1.772 million), and Desert Diamond Mobile ($1.090 million).

Overall, DraftKings Sportsbook leads the 18 licensed Arizona sports betting operators in handle, with $1.23 billion in wagers since the state went live Sept. 9.

FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona became the second operator in Arizona to clear $1 billion in wagers during April, reaching $1.042 billion in handle since September — while clearing the $100 million mark for the seventh consecutive month.

BetMGM Arizona is still the third-leading operator in Arizona by handle, with $802.164 million in wagers over eight months, followed by Caesars Sportsbook Arizona ($557.637 million) and Barstool Sportsbook ($152.99 million). 

WynnBET Arizona is the only other operator to clear more than $100 million in handle in Arizona, with the Las Vegas mainstay posting $101.696 million in wagers since September.

The next tier in the state by total handle is Rush Street Interactive ($29.426 million), TwinSpires ($10.1 million), SuperBook Sports ($5.641 million), Unibet Arizona ($5.440 million), Betfred ($5.327 million), Fubo Sportsbook ($2.770 million) and Desert Diamond ($2.223 million).

Must be 21+ and present in AZ. T&Cs apply.

Where Arizona Sports Betting Stands Nationally

The Arizona sports betting apps marketplace ranked sixth overall nationally during April, coming in between Pennsylvania ($572.817 million) and Virginia ($399.478 million).

The Grand Canyon State ranked behind New York ($1.396 billion), New Jersey ($926.946 million), Illinois ($839.386 million), Nevada ($582.529 million) and Pennsylvania.

Arizona sportsbooks took in $16.5 million in revenue in April, down 11.8% from March. But it was almost $10 million more than sports betting operators took in during February.

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Author

Christopher Boan is the lead writer at BetArizona.com after covering sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.

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