Press Releases
PlayColorado.com: Sports betting reaches $207.7 million in September, surpassing Indiana
Colorado scored its biggest month of sports betting yet, as an unparalleled sports schedule that featured the first games of the NFL season, MLB, and the NBA and NHL playoffs sent the state’s bettors into online and retail sportsbooks in September. Edging Indiana with a record $207.7 million in bets for the month, and with a bevy of new operators making their debut, Colorado joins a group of five states that have generated more than $200 million in a single month, according to analysts from PlayColorado.
“Colorado is nowhere near maturity as a market, and yet its gains continue to put it among the top markets in the U.S.,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayColorado.com. “Interest in the Denver Broncos was bound to help spur interest in the NFL’s first few weeks. But September still managed to outpace what we could have reasonably expected just two months ago.”
September’s handle, which was released Friday by the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Division of Gaming, was up 61% from $128.6 million in August. September’s wagers led to $4.2 million in gross gaming revenue, down 45% from $7.5 million in August.
Colorado edged Indiana to temporarily take over the No. 4 spot among U.S. legal sports betting markets. Indiana also enjoyed a record September with $207.5 million in handle. Fledgling Illinois, which leapfrogged the Centennial State with $140 million in August bets, has yet to announce its September data.
September’s gains netted a loss of $3.4 million in betting proceeds, down from $1.9 million in August, a product of bad luck and heavy promotions for the state’s sportsbooks. Despite the loss, $69,772 was injected into state coffers.
The return of the Denver Broncos and NFL was a key reason why betting was so brisk. WIth three full weekends of NFL action, football generated $38.6 million in wagers. Baseball, though, showed surprising strength by generating $47.1 million. Heavy interest in the Denver Nuggets, who weren’t eliminated from the NBA playoffs until Sept. 26, led to $36.9 million being bet on basketball. Hockey chipped in $11.3 million.
“The NFL is king in every major U.S. sports betting market, so it is no surprise that Colorado bettors showed significant interest, but baseball is proving formidable,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayColorado.com. “Colorado is quickly developing into a well-rounded market with significant betting interest in a wide array of sports, including table tennis, which remains shockingly popular.”
Online sportsbooks have proven to be by far the overwhelming preference for Colorado’s bettors. $203.9 million, or 98.2%, of all September’s wagers were made online. That is essentially even with 98.5% in August. No other major legal sports betting market has seen such a high percentage of its monthly handle generated online.
Operators have clearly noticed. In September alone, Colorado welcomed the launch of four new online sportsbooks, including theScore, William Hill, Betfred, and Sportsbetting.com.
“The Colorado market will continue to sort itself out for the foreseeable future, and its growth prospects remain enormous as more and more operators enter,” Welman said. “Illinois’ population will make it nearly impossible for Colorado to keep pace, but catching Indiana so quickly is impressive. In fact, Colorado’s race with Indiana remains among the most intriguing storylines of U.S. sports betting.”
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Colorado, visit PlayColorado.com/news.
Latest News
THE UNIT TO STEP UP EXPANSION PLANS WITH OPENING OF NEW YORK CITY OFFICE
The Unit aims to grow its presence in the Americas with move to new Manhattan location in January 2025 at Bank of Ireland’s NYC Hub
The Unit, a leader in product design and development for sports betting and iGaming, will proudly open its new office in New York City, as part of its long-term global expansion objectives, in January 2025.
The Americas division was established in 2023 with the launch of The Unit’s partnership with online operator PlayStar Casino. The New York City office, located in the heart of Manhattan, will now be the hub for The Unit’s activity in the Americas.
This new base will be located at Bank of Ireland’s NYC Hub, which was launched to help Irish business owners expand their North American operations. The offices at 2 Grand Central Tower are a great asset to Irish companies aiming to expand their operations in the United States and beyond. This is an ideal location for The Unit to grow its footprint in the region.
The project will be put into practice by The Unit’s Head of Business Development & Account Management Mark O’Hare, who has relocated to New York and will be responsible for The Unit’s commercial growth in the region.
With product and development teams in Ireland and Moldova, the addition of an American hub is further proof The Unit holds an unwavering commitment to becoming the partner of choice, on a global scale, throughout the industry.
Paddy Casey, Co-founder at The Unit, said: “These are exciting times for The Unit, and with plans in place to exponentially grow our presence in the Americas across the next few years, the start of 2025 will be the perfect time for us to move into one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
“This will be the ideal addition to our existing bases in Ireland and Moldova. The flexible workspace the hub can provide will be integral to our plans and will give us the opportunity to grow the team.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us to touch base with clients in the Americas and strategise further launches. We’re looking forward to mapping out our future in the region with our team on the ground there.
“I would like to thank Mark O’Hare for making the move to New York, and I’m sure both he and his team will have the skills and experience to execute our vision for the Americas division across the long-term.”
Tania Sheikh, Manager of NYC Hub for Bank of Ireland, said: “We are very pleased to welcome The Unit to the NYC Hub. The facilities we can provide have helped businesses scale up and connect with their partners, and we are proud to offer that opportunity to The Unit.
“We look forward to hosting The Unit and wish them well in their endeavors to grow their business here.”
The Unit has solidified its strong track record of building world-class, scalable and efficient products for the sports betting and iGaming sector in recent years.
As The Unit embarks on this exciting period of growth, the company remains committed to delivering exceptional products and services to its clients. With its experienced team, best-in-class product development capabilities, and focus on innovation, The Unit is poised to shape the future of the sports betting and iGaming industries.
Latest News
Golden Matrix Group to Participate in the 2025 ICR Conference
Golden Matrix Group Inc., a developer and licensor of online gaming platforms, systems, and gaming content, today announced that management will participate in the 2025 ICR Conference on January 13-15, 2025 at the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, FL.
Zoran Milosevic, Chief Executive Officer of Meridianbet, will participate in a fireside chat with an equity research analyst on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET and will also be available for meetings during the conference.
Canada
Be #GiftSmart: Scratch the Idea of Gifting Scratch & Win Tickets to Kids
BCLC reminds adults to gift responsibly this holiday season
With the holiday season in full swing, BCLC is reminding British Columbians to gift responsibly and scratch lottery products from their shopping lists for kids.
“Scratch & Win tickets can make great stocking stuffers for the adults in your life, but they’re not for kids,” said Ryan McCarthy, BCLC’s Director of Player Health. “The research shows that children who have early encounters with gambling are four times more likely to develop riskier gambling behaviour as they grow up. While people are out shopping for those last-minute gifts, BCLC wants adults to be aware of the potential risks associated with gifting lottery products to children and to consider safer alternatives.”
While Scratch & Win tickets are among the most common ways kids can be introduced to gambling, children are increasingly exposed to various online forms, such as gambling streams.
“With the convergence of gaming and gambling, youth are becoming more exposed to gambling content in online spaces like streaming sites, where creators are able to live-stream their own gambling, usually while playing online slots and instant games,” said Dr. Luke Clark, Director for Gambling Research at UBC. “Our research at the UBC Centre for Gambling shows that a higher frequency of watching online gambling streams is associated with a more positive attitude towards gambling and a high intention to gamble in the future.”
In B.C., it is illegal to sell lottery products to anyone under the age of 19 and BCLC encourages adults to have conversations with the kids in their lives about the risks associated with gambling.
“Open and honest conversations are crucial when it comes to navigating childhood exposure to gambling,” said McCarthy, who shared the following tips to adults:
- Monitor for gambling-related lifestyle changes. For example, developing a positive attitude towards gambling or a preoccupation with video games or streaming sites.
- Be a positive role model. Exhibit safer gambling behaviour and talk about the risks.
- Limit exposure. Monitor kids’ online activities and discourage engagement with gambling content. Explain how gambling is based on chance.
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