New York online sports betting hits $526M weekly handle as football drives wagers

Online sports betting in New York surged to a $526.4 million handle for the week ending Dec. 22, driven by the NFL playoff race and college football action, according to the New York Gaming Commission. This marks a 17.6% increase from the previous week and the second-highest handle recorded in December.  

Wagering activity also saw a year-over-year spike, with the latest handle up 26.5% compared to the same NFL week in 2023. However, total revenue fell 20%, underscoring challenges in maintaining profitability amid lower hold percentages.  
  
The nine online sportsbooks operating in New York generated $34 million in revenue, down 7.6% from the prior week. Despite this dip, the state achieved its ninth consecutive week with profits exceeding $30 million. The hold percentage declined to 6.5% from 8.2% the previous week, marking the lowest level since October.  
 
FanDuel maintained its lead among operators with a handle of $205.5 million, recovering from a sub-$200 million performance the prior week. However, its revenue dropped 22% to $15.7 million, reflecting a 7.6% hold.  

DraftKings followed with a handle of $167.5 million, an 18% week-over-week rise. The operator generated $10.3 million in revenue on a 6.1% win rate.  

ESPN BET posted a standout performance, recording a $20.9 million handle—its largest since launching in New York in September—representing a 203% weekly increase. However, a hold under 1% resulted in revenue of just $146,756, its lowest weekly total.  

BetMGM secured third place with $40.9 million in wagers and $4.4 million in revenue, its second-highest of the football season. Fanatics Sportsbooks closely followed with a $40.8 million handle but reported only $574,203 in revenue.  

Caesars rounded out the top five with a $35.9 million handle and $2 million in revenue. BetRivers, trailing ESPN BET for just the second time, posted a $10.9 million handle.