All About Arizona Sports Betting Handle And Revenue

By Editorial Staff @BetArizona

August 16, 2023 10:13am

The experts at BetArizona.com have assembled this guide to explain what we mean when we talk about Arizona sports betting revenue and sportsbook handle that the state reports each month.

There is an active market with many online or mobile operators as well as a growing number of retail sports wagering options at brick-and-mortar casinos in the Grand Canyon State.

The handle is the total amount of money bet on sports in the state each month. In Arizona, bettors wager hundreds of millions of dollars monthly. From the time legal sports betting launched in September 2021 to early 2023, legal, regulated sports bets were placed exclusively with online sportsbooks. Since then, physical casinos have begun taking retail wagers on sports, albeit in much smaller numbers.

The Arizona online gambling revenue on sports refers to the amount that operators have left after they pay out winning bets. From there, bookmakers pay 10% tax to the state on the adjusted gross revenue.

Arizona Sports Betting, June vs. May

Arizona Sports Betting Handle and Revenue: June 2023

The summer swoon was in full effect for Arizona sportsbooks in June, with a 13% drop in wagering handle and a 51.7% drop in revenue during the month.

Overall, sportsbooks in Arizona took in $393,198,857 in wagering handle during the sixth month of the year, which dropped 13% from May’s sum of $451,717,025.

Revenue-wise, the operators made $16,353,354 during June, which was down 51.7% from May’s total of $33,886,604.

The year-over-year picture for Arizona sportsbooks was a bit rosier, with a 23.3% jump from June 2022’s total of $318,774,198.

When it came to the top operators, handle-wise, in Arizona during June, FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona led the way for the seventh straight month, finishing June at $146,278,210.

The No. 2 operator by handle market share was DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona, which posted a total of $111,345,903.

With their June returns, FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona knocked DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona off its perch as the No. 1 operator by handle at $3.393 billion, after the Boston-based operator held the top spot for 21 consecutive months.  

Other noteworthy sportsbook results in Arizona during June were BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona, which finished the month with the third-largest total ($55,762,768). Caesars Sportsbook Arizona had $39,876,480 in handle, while Barstool Sportsbook Arizona, which will be rebranded as ESPN Bet this fall, had $11,254,117.

Arizona Mobile Sports Betting History

Arizona Sports Betting Handle and Revenue FAQs

How much handle did Arizona sports betting take in during 2022?

In 2022, Arizona sportsbooks took in $6,036,844,930 worth of wagering handle, up 246.3% from the $1,743,249,640 the operators took in during the first four months of reporting in 2021. Each month, the vast majority of bets are taken by Arizona sportsbook apps.

What is the tax rate in AZ from sports betting?

Arizona’s sports betting tax rate is 10% for online sportsbooks and 8% for retail facilities. That’s what operators pay to the state out of the adjusted gross revenue derived from sports wagering once winning bets are paid out.

How often does Arizona release its online sports betting revenue figures?

The Arizona Department of Gaming is a bit of a wild card when it comes to sports betting revenue reporting, with the agency releasing wagering reports on a sporadic basis.

For example, the ADG released February figures for Arizona sportsbooks on May 10, while the agency unveiled the state’s January report on March 27. Before that, the ADG released December 2022 figures on March 10, November figures on Feb. 2 and October’s report on Jan. 10.

The agency took 44 days to report the state’s February wagering totals, while January’s totals came 17 days after the ADG released December’s report.

Where Does AZ Sports Betting Tax Revenue Go?

Arizona tax revenue from sports betting largely goes towards the state’s general fund, benefiting everything from education to infrastructure projects for residents of the state.

Who regulates sports betting in Arizona?

The Arizona Department of Gaming regulates sports betting in the Grand Canyon State.

What is mobile sports betting handle?

Mobile sports betting handle refers to the amount of money wagered on mobile or online apps, using phones, laptops or other online devices. Many online operators offer their customers Arizona sports betting promo codes. In Arizona, sports betting is done either at a retail location (a land-based casino or at a stadium or racetrack) or on one of the 17 licensed mobile sportsbooks in the state (down from 18, after Fubo Sportsbook ceased operations).

What is handle vs. revenue in sports betting?

Handle is the terms used to refer to the amount of money wagered in a month. If a handle is reported as $350 million, that means that the operators in the state combined to accept that much money from people betting on sports. Revenue refers to what’s left over after winning bets are paid out; Arizona gaming revenue on sports is taxed based on the amount of adjusted gross revenue each month. In 2022, Arizona collected more than $290 million in revenue from sports betting.