Arizona sportsbooks take record $499m in wagers in December

Wagers were up 7 per cent month-on-month.

US.- Arizona’s online and retail sportsbooks took a state record $499.2m in wagers in December, up 7 per cent from $466.7m in the previous month, according to data from the Arizona Department of Gaming. Its the third straight month of at least $466m in bets.

Arizona sportsbooks won $39.8m in gross revenue, which was down 23 per cent from $51.4m in November. The state taxed $17.3m in gross event wagering receipts. That produced $1.7m in taxes for the state.

Online sportsbooks generated $494.5m in wagers, which represented 99.1 per cent of the state’s handle in December. Retail sportsbooks took in the state’s remaining $4.7m in bets.

DraftKings registered $146m in online bets in December, down from $148.7m in November. FanDuel reported $131.1m in wagers, including $128.5m online. BetMGM reported $103.8m and Caesars $76m, including $73.9m online.

C.J. Pierre, lead analyst for PlayAZ.com, which tracks Arizona gaming market, said: “The NFL season kept wagering high even as sportsbooks settled into something resembling normal after a surge of promotional spending early on.

“Importantly, bettor enthusiasm remains high and Arizonans will become more comfortable with less conventional products such as in-game betting. That should help keep activity brisk through March Madness.”

Eric Ramsey, an analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, added: “New York broke many of Arizona’s records after it debuted mobile sportsbooks, but that shouldn’t diminish just how well the state has performed so far.

“We expected Arizona to do well when sports betting launched in September, but the market continues to match the highest expectations with results that rival more mature markets, some with much larger populations.” 

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