It’s the end of the beginning in New York sports betting.
And what does that mean? Well, the release of December’s sports betting numbers signals the last report for just retail now that mobile sports betting officially launched last Saturday.
The numbers were released Thursday by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC).
The retail sports numbers come from four upstate casinos. Rivers Casino in Schenectady, Del Lago in Waterloo, Resorts World Catskills in Monticello and Tioga Downs in Nichols.
Those casinos combined for $21.12 million in total sports handle in December. Rivers Casino ($10 million) again led the way, followed by Del Lago ($6.25 million), Resorts World ($3.34 million) and Tioga Downs ($1.52 million).
New York Sports Betting, December vs. November
| Handle | Revenue (GGR) | |
|---|---|---|
| December | $21.130M | $0.765M |
| November | $21.519M | $3.956M |
| Change | Down 1.8% | Down 80.7% |
There was a tiny decrease in sports betting handle in December, at $21.1 million, down 1.8% from November’s $21.5 million. The revenue mark was down in a big way, though, posting just $764,614, down 80.7% from November’s $3.95 million.
Rivers Casino was the first of the four casinos to exceed $10 million in sports betting handle for one month with $11.9 million in October. That number fell just below 10 in November ($9.9 million) but surpassed the $10 million mark again last month.
The NYSGC has reported handle figures only since April, so there is no way to accurately report full total handle for the year. Year-end revenue totals for the four came in at $15,550,810.
Here are three key takeaways from New York’s December sports betting report.
Numbers Will Go Up for Months
With four of the nine mobile sportsbooks launching last Saturday, next month’s numbers report will only have a partial reporting of how much mobile pulled in for January. The first full month of reporting in March for February should give a great first foundation of what mobile will mean for the state moving forward and those numbers could be staggering right from the get-go.
There is no doubt there will be major betting interest as the NFL Playoffs begin this Saturday. Among the six games is the rubber match between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots.
Keep an eye out on NewYorkBets.com for all the recent promo offers.
Why Retail Should Rise in Future.
With mobile finally launching in the state, retail numbers could go up in the future if and when new casinos, and possibly more retail sportsbooks, in New York City and its surrounding boroughs get approval.
Requests for information from potential suitors already have gone out and that process has started.
Other States Probably Will Take Some Lumps
In the midst of the first quarter of 2022, it will be interesting to see how New York numbers will affect its surrounding neighbors of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and recently-launched Connecticut.
Have bettors made the switch from these states and will the movement be as big as we might think?
One thing is for certain: New York finally has cemented itself as a major player.
