Sports Betting Handle in Kentucky Drops 61% in October
Sports betting in Kentucky faced a challenging October, with handle declining by 4.5% to $275 million, while gross revenue plummeted by a staggering 61%.
Tough October for Kentucky Sportsbooks
Total handle for sports betting operators in Kentucky amounted to $274.9 million in October, representing a 4.5% decrease compared to the previous year. Gross revenue took a significant hit, dropping by 61.3% to $18.8 million.
This steep decline was primarily driven by a reduction in the hold percentage, the portion of wagers retained by sportsbooks as revenue. Kentucky’s situation mirrors a broader trend across the U.S., where favorable results for bettors have led to reduced operator revenues in multiple states.
However, Kentucky’s revenue drop stands out due to its magnitude and the concurrent decline in handle, a less common occurrence in October’s results across states.
The state’s tax revenue from sports betting also suffered, falling to just under $3 million for October, compared to $7.6 million collected in the same month last year.
Performance of Individual Operators
October 2024 brought mixed results for sports betting operators in Kentucky. FanDuel led the market with $9.8 million in revenue on $92.3 million in handle, achieving the highest hold rate among all operators at 10.6%.
Trailing FanDuel, DraftKings generated $8.2 million in revenue from $102.7 million in handle. Despite its higher handle, DraftKings’ hold rate was lower at 8%.
Bet365 secured third place with $1.3 million in revenue on $24.5 million in handle. BetMGM experienced a 47% decline in revenue compared to the previous month, with a hold rate just under 6%.
Caesars fared the worst, retaining only 3.4% of $11.5 million wagered on its platform. Fanatics Sportsbook maintained its handle from the previous month but reported a drop in revenue.
Additionally, ESPN BET made its debut in Kentucky during October, achieving a hold rate of 6.3% on $6.5 million in handle.
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