Nevada is the gambling leader in the United States. It makes sense when you consider that land-based wagering was first legalized in the state in 1949 with online/mobile wagering legalized in 2010. You could say that Nevada paved the way for all other states that have permitted legalized gambling in any form. In this article, we will look at recent figures from Nevada related to online gambling and see where the state measures up compared to other states where online gambling is legal, and why Nevada has been so successful.
A Look At Some Recent Numbers
The most current data for sports betting comes from June 2021. Although the sports calendar is typically slow during the summer months, sports betting in Nevada spiked from previous months. Sportsbooks in the state collected a total of $544.8 million in wagers during June 2021 according to this resource on Vegas Odds in Indiana. That is more than the May total of $477.2 million – an increase of 14.2%. Sports betting revenue was up 8% to $29.2 million with operators paying close to $2 million in tax revenue to the state.
It is anticipated that the July figures will be down from June but will pick up in August. That is because the sports calendar in August includes football – both professional and college. Football is the largest sports betting activity in the year-round sports calendar. It also takes place at a time when sportsbooks have had a dip in activity and usually sets the pace for the balance of the calendar year giving many sportsbooks strong third and fourth quarter gambling revenue stats.
Although New Jersey sportsbooks were the first to pass the 10-digit threshold in June with revenue totaling $1.16 billion, Nevada gamblers kept their state riding the current trend of popularity in sports betting. June 2021 marked the second month in a row that Nevada sports betting had increased month over month. For example, the total handle for May 2021 was $477,191,062 compared to $544,806,558 from June – an increase of 14.2%. That put Nevada at 4th overall month over month in June. Washington DC was top with a June increase of 41.7%, following by Mississippi with a 19.3% jump, and West Virginia with 17.4% more than in May. The stats are based on gambling numbers from 17 of the 19 states with legalized sports betting.
June Over May Across The Board
The top sports betting handle in the US from June 2021 was New Jersey with $766,888,420, a drop of 5.8% from May. Nevada was second, Pennsylvania was third with $420,193,477, followed by Michigan ($259.5 million), Indiana ($246 million), Colorado ($229.7 million), Tennessee ($174.5 million), Iowa ($111.1 million), Mississippi ($43 million), New Hampshire ($39.2 million), West Virginia ($29.9 million), Rhode Island ($29.4 million), Oregon ($24.9 million), Washington DC ($19.5 million), Delaware ($5.9 million), Arkansas ($3.8 million), and Montana ($3.7 million). There were no results reported from Illinois or Virginia at the time of the released report.
Mobile Sports Betting Grows In Nevada
Sports betting is continuing to grow in the US. Despite the month-over-month national handle dropping 0.4%, revenue generated from sports betting is up 23.5% with New Jersey’s strong parley hold contributing the majority of that. With that being said, mobile sports betting is starting to make an impact. In Nevada, mobile sports betting accounted for 57.7% of all sports betting in the state in June 2021. As impressive as that is, it is down from the 62.4% recorded in May and the 65.3% from April. However, the sports calendar comes into play here. Plus, when you consider that most states with legalized sports betting see about 80% of the activity from mobile sports betting, there has to be a reason why Nevada’s numbers are far lower than that. Speculation is that in-person registration, which is a requirement in Nevada, is one factor. Another is that Nevada sportsbooks depend on tourists for a lot of their sports betting activity.
How The Pandemic Impacts Sports Betting
According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the June 2021 sports betting handle of $544.8 million was an all-time record in the state. It was also an increase of 597% over the pandemic-affected total from June 2020 and 69.3% higher than the June 2019 handle. However, COVID-19 continues to hit sports betting although closures and capacity limits are not currently returning. The state has responded to a recent recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that everyone should wear a mask indoors when a high risk of transmission is present.
With a reported fourth wave of COVID-19 sweeping the country, masks are once again reappearing. This is going to force some bettors to stay home and either access mobile sports betting options or not bother at all. With the hit all land-based gambling venues experience with closures and restrictions in 2020, COVID-19 could put a fair deal of pressure on internet gambling sites. The NGCB warns, “Each licensee subject to this Industry Notice must have dedicated signage throughout its establishment notifying patrons where face coverings are required. In conjunction with state and local health officials, the Nevada Gaming Control Board will continue to ensure that best practices are used in the mitigation of COVID-19, and its effects on licensee operations, and will issue further notices as appropriate.”
Final Thoughts
Several conditions have impacted the sports betting market in Nevada. The pandemic is probably the biggest influence having forced closures and capacity limits on many retail sportsbook operations. During that time, bettors will have discovered the ease of online sportsbooks and turned to them to keep their betting routine in place. It also meant that many bettors who had not visited a mobile sports betting operation were beginning to shift their attention in that direction. The requirement for in-person registration also has pushed some bettors to the internet. The sports calendar has a huge impact on sports betting with summer months quieter than others simply because most major sports are in their off-season during summer. Regardless, sports betting continues to grow in Nevada and is expected to stay on this course well into the future.
