Massachusetts achieves second consecutive record sports betting handle in December

Massachusetts reported a record sports betting handle for the second consecutive month in December. Players in the state collectively wagered $658.7 million during the period, shattering the previous high set in November 2023.

The combined sports betting and casino revenue for Massachusetts in December reached $163.6 million, indicating a substantial 14.4% increase from November.

December's handle narrowly exceeded the previous record set in November, which was of $654.4 million, with a total of $643.2 million spent on online betting and an additional $15.5 million at retail sportsbooks. Massachusetts entered the legal betting arena in March 2023.

Taxable revenue from sports betting in December amounted to $60.6 million, reflecting a significant 23.9% increase from November's $48.9 million. However, the figure was just shy of the monthly record set in May at $61.0 million.

Online betting contributed the lion's share to the overall sports betting revenue, with $59.3 million coming from mobile platforms and a modest $1.3 million from retail sportsbooks.

Among individual operators, DraftKings emerged as the leader in the online betting market. In December, the operator reported $29.9 million in revenue from $316.9 million in online bets.

FanDuel, owned by Flutter Entertainment, secured the second position with $19.3 million in revenue from a handle of $187.4 million. BetMGM lagged behind in third place, generating $3.1 million in revenue from $39.2 million in total online wagers.

In the land-based sector, Plainridge Park Casino led with $534,411 in revenue from a $7.2 million handle. Encore Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield followed with $499,411 and $259,588 in revenue, respectively.

The casino market in Massachusetts also demonstrated growth, with land-based venues generating $103.0 million in revenue in December, marking a 9.6% increase from November. This included $68.7 million from slots and $34.3 million from table games.

Encore Boston Harbor claimed the top spot in total casino revenue with $65.8 million, consisting of $36.2 million from slots and $29.7 million from table games. MGM Springfield secured the second position with $23.6 million, and Plainridge Park Casino took the third spot with $13.6 million, all from slot games.

Massachusetts collected $12.0 million in sports betting tax and an additional $29.0 million in casino tax, bringing the total tax for the month to $41.1 million.