Indiana’s streak of increasing legal sports betting handle ended in December, with the Indiana Gaming Commission revealing that bets from retail and online sportsbooks totaled $431.1 million. This was a 4.7% drop from November’s $452.3 million figure, yet the statewide hold percentage rose to 9.9%, resulting in taxable revenue of $42.7 million and an increase of 7.5% in taxes paid to the state compared to November’s figure of $3.7 million. It remains to be seen if this two-step forward one-step back approach will spell out a sustainable future for legal betting activities within the state throughout 2021.
Fanduel Has Taken The Lead Over Draftkings
FanDuel Indiana is continuing to beat the competition in December, with their $137.7 million in the handle and $15.8 million in revenue dwarfing all other operators and securing them the top spot for this month. All three of the main contenders for the title posted impressive numbers; DraftKings Indiana brought in $134.8 million in bets alongside their $12.3 million contribution of revenue, while BetMGM Indiana provided a hefty $41.8 million in terms of wagers and a respectable $4.8 million in profits. In total, these Top 3 companies added up to an astonishing 72.9% of all activities that took place during the month, with their contributions also accounting for a whopping 77% of all revenues earned within this time.
Basketball Demonstrated Remarkable Success!
December was a disappointing month for NFL fans in Indiana, with the Indianapolis Colts missing out on a victory, but the sport still came out on top when it came to betting. Football generated more than $136 million in wagers, putting it ahead of basketball, which came in second with a total handle of $130 million.
While overall sports betting saw a slight month-over-month drop across the state, basketball gambling rose by 4% while football betting dipped by 1%. It goes to show that even when their NBA teams are not doing as well as expected, sports bettors in Indiana remain faithful to their favorite pastimes.
Despite its success, basketball is lagging compared to last year’s numbers. At the close of 2021, sportsbook wagers on basketball outshone football by nearly $7 million – and that was with a good showing from the Colts! This remarkable contrast speaks volumes about how popular basketball has become in recent times.
