Indiana sports betting handle surged 160% in October over September to $91.7 million after the state launched mobile betting at the beginning of the month.
Breaking down Indiana sportsbooks
- DraftKings Sportsbook was far and away the winner with $39.3 million in handle. That’s good for 43% of the state’s total after operating for nearly the whole month.
- BetRivers launched at the beginning of the month as well but fell way short of DraftKings with $6.3 million in handle.
- FanDuel Sportsbook launched toward the end of the month and took $2.4 million in bets.
November will serve as the first true test for FanDuel, which typically takes strong market share positions in new markets. The CEO of local casino partner Boyd Gaming mentioned he was “quite optimistic” on FanDuel’s performance in Indiana.
Penn National’s Ameristar Casino, the partner of DraftKings Sportsbook in the state, led Indiana’s 10 casinos with $46.2 million in total handle for October, according to the state report.
Indiana sports betting resulted in $11.5 million in revenue in October. Win percentage can’t be cleanly pulled from numbers as the Indiana Gaming Commission does not break out futures bets.
Local love of betting on the NFL and college football is clearly evident in the figures, with 45% of all handle placed on the sport.
Benefiting from Illinois’ slow movement
There’s no question Indiana sportsbooks are a benefactor of Illinois‘ slow rollout of sports betting.
Horseshoe Hammond, which sits just 18 miles from downtown Chicago, led the state in retail handle with $10.8 million. Ameristar Casino, which calls itself Ameristar East Chicago and sits about 30 miles from downtown Chicago, ranked third with $6.8 million in handle.
Illinois is just getting around to opening up the application period for sports betting operators next month. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law in June and some in the industry hoped for a launch before the NFL season began.
Ohio contributing too
Ohio has not yet legalized sports betting, but it seems clear the Cincinnati market has an appetite to bet.
Horseshoe Lawrenceburg was second in the state for handle with $6.9 million. The casino is about a half-hour drive from downtown Cincinnati.
Ohio lawmakers have been considering sports betting legislation in recent weeks.
