Likely fueled by the Washington Commanders’ 4-1 start to the NFL season and a couple of big wins for the Baltimore Ravens, Maryland recorded its most lucrative month of sports betting ever in September in terms of state contributions.
Sports betting operators in the state took a collective $532.9 million in bets last month, up 20.4% from last September and the fifth-highest total of all time. Of that total, $518.9 million was taken through the 11 mobile operators’ digital platforms.
That overall handle yielded $9.4 million in tax revenue, an all-time high since the state launched retail sports betting in December 2021 and mobile wagering in November 2022. September’s tax taking was nearly triple (+190.3%) the $3.2 million taken in the same month last year and $1.2 million higher than the previous monthly record in January 2024.
That’s despite the fact that Maryland actually has fewer mobile sportsbooks than it did at start of the year, as SuperBook Sports shut down operations in numerous markets including the Old Line State in July and Betfred followed them out the door days later.
Maryland’s online sports betting handle was up 41% from August, driven by the start of the NFL season. The Commanders and Ravens lead their respective divisions after their strong starts.
Through the first quarter of FY 2025 (July 2024 through September 2024), Maryland operators have taken $1.2 billion in wagers, up 30.4% year over year, tax revenue was $21.2 million, well over double the $9.1 million taken in the same period in FY2024.
“We’re encouraged that the sports wagering market continues to generate additional funding to support schools, and at the same time we also encourage everyone to be responsible about their betting,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “Mobile wagering apps have tools that allow you to set limits on your activity. If you bet, please enjoy it in moderation and leave room to simply have fun watching the games and being a sports fan.”
FanDuel sweeps all before it
By some distance, FanDuel was top dog in Maryland ahead of DraftKings in September.
The Flutter-owned sportsbook took $231.8 million of the $518.9 million in online sports bets, producing around half ($4.6 million) of the total sports betting taxes. DraftKings produced nearly $3 million in sports betting tax revenue from $175.8 million in handle.
BetMGM completed the podium with $39.35 million in handle, ahead of Caesars‘ $22.9 million, Fanatics at $22.5 million, and ESPN Bet with $15.6 million in bets taken.
Bally Bet, which only came onto the Maryland online betting scene at the end of July amid SuperBook and Betfred’s departures, took a little over $3 million in bets.
