Online sports betting in the US continues on a record-setting pace for 2021. Major sports around the world were back on a full schedule in May 2021, a sharp contrast to the sports betting landscape from 12 months earlier.
The NBA Playoffs bolstered somewhat surprising mobile betting numbers in May. New Jersey and Indiana posted month-to-month online sports betting handle gains, not a typical occurrence in one of the slower months on the US sports calendar.
Four of the nation’s top sports betting markets released May revenue figures this week. Here’s a look at how mobile sports betting shaped up in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana for May 2021:
May 2021 Online Sports Betting Handle And Revenue
| State | May 2021 Online Sports Betting Handle | May 2021 Online Sports Betting Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $734,654,926 | $48,147,445 |
| Pennsylvania | $407,398,753 | $22,505,210 |
| Michigan | $237,551,158 | $9,876,406 |
| Indiana | $228,428,131 | $15,307,577 |
New Jersey Online Sports Betting Handle May 2021
| May 2021 Mobile Betting Handle | MTM Handle Change | |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $734,654,926 | +7.9% |
| 2021 Totals | $3,771,883,378 |
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | May 2021 Revenue | Month-To-Month Change | YTD Revenue | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Meadowlands Racetrack | FanDuel Sportsbook, PointsBet | $29,800,154 | +16.6% | $150,666,335 | +247.2% |
| Resorts Digital Gaming | DraftKings Sportsbook, FOX Bet, Resorts | $9,544,335 | -20.5% | $59,150,329 | +101.1% |
| Borgata Hotel Casino | Borgata Sports, BetMGM | $4,689,762 | -9.7% | $28,610,624 | +484.2% |
| Darby Development (Monmouth Park) | Monmouth Park Sportsbook by William Hill, SugarHouse, TheScoreBet | $1,803,835 | +2.9% | $10,669,538 | +90.9% |
| Ocean Casino Resort | William Hill Sportsbook at Ocean Casino, Tipico | $1,321,865 | -27.8% | $12,078,260 | +266.2% |
| Boardwalk Regency | Caesars Sportsbook, 888 Sport, WynnBET | $518,217 | N/A | $1,749,615 | +151.0% |
| Hard Rock Atlantic City | Hard Rock, Bet365, Unibet | $508,488 | -52.4% | $5,245,242 | +497.0% |
| Tropicana Casino & Resort | William Hill Sportsbook Tropicana Atlantic City | $48,000 | -9.3% | $392,246 | +170.5% |
| Golden Nugget | Golden Nugget, TwinSpires | -$87,211 | N/A | $365,839 | +16.2% |
| Totals | $48,147,445 | +1.4% | $268,928,028 | +203.4% |
May generally marks one of the slower months in the US sports betting calendar, but New Jersey’s online sportsbooks thrived last month nonetheless. Online sports betting handle jumped 7.9% from April to May, with $734,654,926 in mobile wagers placed in the Garden State.
New Jersey generated $814,270,654 in combined mobile and retail betting handle tops in the US for May. Online sports betting produced 90.2% of overall handle, as New Jersey continues to prove the viability of mobile sports wagering.
Online sports betting revenue came in at $48,147,445 in May, and year-to-date revenue stands at just under $269 million. On that pace, New Jersey’s online sportsbooks would generate $645.4 million in revenue and $83.8 million in state tax revenue in 2021.
The New Meadowlands Racetrack license dominated the landscape in New Jersey, bolstered by the popularity of FanDuel Sportsbook.
You can view the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement’s monthly revenue summaries and press releases at the DGE website.
Pennsylvania Online Sports Betting Handle May 2021
| May 2021 Mobile Betting Handle | MTM Handle Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $407,398,753 | -7.2% |
| 2021 Totals | $2,410,451,333 |
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | May 2021 Revenue | Month-To-Month Change | YTD Revenue | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Forge Casino Resort | FanDuel Sportsbook | $14,184,444 | +28.1% | $57,289,727 | +266.7% |
| The Meadows | DraftKings Sportsbook | $3,851,154 | -29.2% | $26,043,118 | +273.3% |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National | Barstool Sportsbook | $1,649,143 | N/A | $5,234,706 | N/A |
| Parx Casino | Parx Sportsbook | $978,471 | -34.1% | $6,877,676 | +74.1% |
| Rivers Pittsburgh | BetRivers Sportsbook | $872,598 | -34.5% | $5,514,295 | +63.2% |
| Rivers Philadelphia | SugarHouse Sportsbook | $713,598 | -18.8% | $4,626,409 | +6.5% |
| Mount Airy Casino Resort | FOX Bet | $690,877 | -4.1% | $4,959,586 | +104.4% |
| Hollywood Casino Morgantown | BetMGM | $268,069 | -76.5% | $3,683,025 | N/A |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono | Unibet Sportsbook | $94,087 | -13.4% | $959,573 | +229.2% |
| Harrah’s Philadelphia | Caesars Sportsbook | -$70,351 | N/A | $16,284 | N/A |
| Presque Isle Downs | TwinSpires | -$203,450 | N/A | -$392,987 | N/A |
| Totals | $22,505,209 | +4.7% | $113,323,075 | +205.6% |
Pennsylvania maintains a steady status as one of the top three sports betting markets in the US. New Jersey stands as the clear No. 1 sports betting state, while Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Nevada battle for the No. 2 spot in 2021.
Both Pennsylvania and Illinois rely heavily on mobile wagering as the backbones of prosperous sports betting industries. Pennsylvania’s online sportsbooks generated $407,398,753 in betting handle in May.
That number marks a 7.2% drop month-to-month against April. Combined handle from retail and online sportsbooks ended up at $447,465,027 in Pennsylvania in May.
Illinois and Nevada have yet to release sports betting revenue figures for May, but Pennsylvania will presumably come in as one of the top three overall sports betting markets based on monthly handle. Online wagers produced 91% of all bets in Pennsylvania in May.
FanDuel Sportsbook (under the Valley Forge license) had produced more than half of all mobile sports betting revenue in Pennsylvania in 2021. DraftKings Sportsbook takes the No. 2 spot in the Pennsylvania market, followed by several different brands vying for market share (Parx, BetRivers, Barstool, FOX Bet).
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s monthly press release and revenue reports updated the revenue figures on Thursday.
Michigan Online Sports Betting Handle May 2021
| May 2021 Mobile Betting Handle | MTM Handle Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | $237,551,158 | -4.9% |
| 2021 Totals | $1,263,899,045 |
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | May 2021 Revenue | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MotorCity Casino Hotel | FanDuel Sportsbook | $7,418,043 | +41.9% | $6,561,539 |
| MGM Grand Detroit | BetMGM | $2,744,345 | -27.5% | $15,301,396 |
| Greektown Casino Hotel | Barstool Sportsbook | $737,394 | -37.3% | $5,891,927 |
| Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians | FOX Bet | $205,716 | +26.1% | $430,483 |
| Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians | WynnBET | $87,233 | -3.0% | $384,926 |
| Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians | William Hill | -$7,150 | N/A | $179,656 |
| Keweenaw Bay Indian Community | Golden Nugget Sportsbook | -$17,804 | N/A | -$57,878 |
| Little River Band of Ottawa Indians | BetRivers | -$41,313 | N/A | -$633,590 |
| Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians | PointsBet | -$93,079 | N/A | -$1,051,257 |
| Hannahville Indian Community | TwinSpires | -$104,554 | N/A | -$436,880 |
| Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians | Four Winds Sportsbook | -$271,294 | N/A | -$447,936 |
| Bay Mills Indian Community | DraftKings Sportsbook | -$781,132 | N/A | -$2,374,719 |
| Totals | $9,876,406 | -9.2% | $23,747,667 |
Based on handle, Michigan emerged as a top-five US mobile sports betting market immediately after the Jan. 2021 launch of online sportsbooks in the state. Michigan’s mobile sports betting apps produced $237,551,158 in handle in May, a figure that likely puts the state among the top five markets again for May.
While Michigan’s sports enthusiasts are placing plenty of bets, the state’s online sports betting revenue hasn’t yet reached its full potential. The 12 mobile sports betting apps in the state generated $9,876,406 in adjusted gross revenue, only around half of the state’s $19,459,443 unadjusted revenue total.
Those numbers equate to promotional credits (welcome bonuses and other offers) negating around 50% of overall revenue in May. FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, and BetMGM top the field in the battle for Michigan market share.
Betting handle numbers point to big things for the future of Michigan sports betting, which should emerge as another thriving mobile wagering market in future months. You can view the Michigan Gaming Control Board’s monthly revenue figures here.
Indiana Online Sports Betting Handle May 2021
| May 2021 Mobile Betting Handle | MTM Handle Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | $228,428,131 | +9.3% |
| 2021 Totals | $1,248,908,194 |
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | May 2021 Revenue | Month-Over-Month Change | YTD Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Chip Casino | FanDuel Sportsbook | $7,636,128 | +34.3% | $33,281,856 |
| Ameristar Casino | DraftKings Sportsbook, theScore Bet | $3,070,261 | -50.7% | $31,463,726 |
| Belterra Casino | BetMGM, BetWay | $2,519,927 | -18.0% | $15,073,099 |
| Hollywood Lawrenceburg | PointsBet, Barstool Sportsbook | $1,276,242 | +60.6% | $6,375,762 |
| French Lick Resort | BetRivers Sportsbook | $438,229 | +14.7% | $2,967,724 |
| Tropicana Evansville | William Hill | $173,885 | -54.1% | $2,560,137 |
| Rising Star Casino | TwinSpires | $109,952 | +187.3% | $164,224 |
| Horseshoe Hammond | Caesars Sportsbook, Unibet | $82,953 | +282.0% | $428,133 |
| Totals | $15,307,577 | -7.8% | $92,314,661 |
Like New Jersey, the usual dropoff in sports betting interest in May didn’t apply to Indiana last month. Mobile sports betting apps in the Hoosier State produced $228,428,131 in May wagers, a 9.3% increase month-to-month versus April.
The state’s 11 online sportsbook brands produced $15,307,577 in May revenue. That number will likely place Indiana among the top-five revenue-producing states in the US mobile sports betting industry in May, pending revenue figures from other states.
Indiana persists as one of the most viable and consistent mobile sports betting markets in the nation. Mobile sportsbooks are on pace to produce right around $3 billion in annual wagers by the end of 2021.
The monthly revenue report from the Indiana Gaming Commission can be viewed here.
