Press Releases
PlayIndiana.com: Betting volume jumps in August on baseball and early season football
Indiana’s sports betting volume began to bounce back in August, as a handful of college football and preseason NFL games drew enough interest from bettors to bump volume up nearly 11% from July. But as Indiana’s sports betting industry turns 2, the uptick to nearly $216 million in wagers offers just a precursor of a fall that is certain to bring fresh growth, according to PlayIndiana, which tracks the state’s gaming industry.
“Even a little bit of football can make a big difference in a month,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayIndiana.com. “The schedule was still relatively light compared to the fall, but it is a great sign that August brought a nice bounce in wagering.”
Online and retail sportsbooks combined to draw $215.6 million in bets in August, which is up 27.6% from $169.0 million in August 2020 and up 10.9% from $194.5 million in July, according to official reporting released Friday. Bettors placed $7 million per day over the 31 days of August, up from $5.5 million per day in August 2020 and $6.3 million per day in July.
Gross gaming revenue grew to $16.7 million, up 33% from $12.6 million in August 2020 and up 3% from $17.2 million in July. Adjusted gross revenue was $16.5 million, producing $1.6 million in state taxes.
Other than the months in 2020 that were marred by pandemic-related shutdowns, year-over-year growth has been the norm since Indiana launched its sports betting industry in September 2019. With just a handful of retail operators in that first month, Indiana’s sportsbooks generated $8.3 million in revenue on $35.2 million in wagers.
In the 24 months since launch, the Hoosier State has produced:
- $4.3 billion in wagering
- $351.3 million in gross sports betting revenue
- $33.4 million in tax dollars for the state
“With the pandemic, sports betting has not always traveled the smoothest road,” said Nicole Russo, analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “Still, Indiana’s industry is maturing more quickly than anyone could have expected, especially considering the obstacles. And the growth is not done. Expect more revenue and wagering records to fall over the next few months.”
Baseball again topped all sports with $68.3 million in wagering, up from $63.5 million in July. But even with just a handful of college football games, in addition to preseason NFL games and futures betting, football drew $13.9 million in wagering in August, up from $2.2 million in July.
Of particular importance to Indiana bettors were three preseason Indianapolis Colts games. And sportsbooks have been gearing up for a surge in action with aggressive promotions ahead of the NFL season.
“Even though preseason games are typically low-volume affairs, there was particular interest in the Colts this August because of the addition of quarterback Carson Wentz,” Russo said. “Add in a light schedule of college football, and there was just enough to draw a significant amount of football wagers. Still, September’s full college schedule and opening weeks of the NFL should dwarf anything we saw in August.”
Online betting accounted for 90.5%, or $195.2 million, of August’s handle. DraftKings topped the market with $74.2 million in online wagering in August, up from $60.2 million in July. The month’s wagering produced $4.4 million in gross receipts, down from $4.7 million in July. FanDuel was second in August with $52.6 million in wagering, down from $54.3 million in July. Those bets produced a state-best $4.9 million in gross receipts.
The leaders were followed by:
- BetMGM ($26.2 million handle, up from $25.6 million in June; $2.5 million win, up from $2.2 million).
- William Hill/Caesars ($16.9 million handle, up from $7.9 million; $977,286 win, up from $228,927)
- Barstool ($8.6 million handle, up from $7.2 million; $347,062 win, down from $463,462)
- PointsBet ($5.9 million handle, down from $7.0 million; $574,087 win, down from $747,400)
- BetRivers ($5.8 million handle, down from $6.9 million; $409,812 win, down from $659,187)
- TheScore ($1.8 million handle, down from $3.4 million; $28,776 loss, down from $73,512 win)
- TwinSpires ($1.3 million handle, up from $536,783; $37,866 win, up from $5,043 loss)
- WynnBet ($777,706 handle, up from $737,797; $77,443 win, down from $109,614)
- Unibet ($775,921 handle, down from $852,852; $22,300 win, down from $80,444)
- BetWay ($301,696 handle, up from $30,859; $5,081 loss, down from $1,059 loss)
Meanwhile, retail betting accounted for $20.4 million in bets in August, up from $19.9 million in July. Hollywood Lawrenceburg, nearest to Cincinnati and one of the highest-volume retail sportsbooks in the U.S., led retail books in Indiana with $5.6 million in wagers, down from $5.9 million in July. Ameristar East Chicago was second with $3.4 million in bets, just ahead of Indiana Grand ($3.3 million) Harrah’s Hoosier Park ($3.1 million), and Horseshoe Hammond ($2.6 million).
“The NFL, and to a lesser extent college football, is the best opportunity of the year for sportsbooks to attract new customers, so every operator will be aggressive over the next couple months,” Russo said. “In addition, we expect to see a slew of new operators, such as SBK Sportsbook, launch during the next few months to take advantage of the prime sports betting season.”
For more revenue information on Indiana sportsbooks, visit PlayIndiana.com/revenue.
On November 6, the iGaming industry in Mexico is preparing for a key event in which the benefits and challenges that regulation has brought to the Mexican market will be discussed. Under the title “Benefits of Regulation in the Mexican Market”, this panel will offer an in-depth look at the impact of regulation on transparency, competition and consumer protection, critical issues in the new digital era of iGaming.
The event, moderated by Geraldine Alexandra García Torres, Media Manager of Digital Gaming News, will feature the participation of recognized figures in the sector such as Daniel Magariños, representative of BMM Testlabs, and Hermilo Peregrina Cabrera of Prometeo IT Solutions. Both panelists will contribute their extensive knowledge and experience in regulation and certification in the Mexican market, and will analyze with the public the challenges and opportunities that companies face in an increasingly competitive and regulated context.
BMM Testlabs, who will participate as a Gold Sponsor, underlines with its sponsorship the importance of regulation to strengthen the iGaming sector in Mexico and demonstrates its commitment to progress and transparency in the Mexican market. For its part, Kushki joins as a Silver Sponsor, promoting the dialogue and analysis necessary for the industry.
Daniel Magariños, from BMM Testlabs, expressed his enthusiasm for participating in this digital webinar: “It has been a pleasure to be able to share our comments as a Laboratory on a market like the Mexican one and exchange opinions with a reference like Hermilo and the company Prometeo IT Solutions, with its excellent track record in this market. A relaxed talk with a lot of learning that I hope will be interesting for the attendees.”
For his part, Hermilo Peregrina, from Prometeo IT Solutions, highlighted the relevance of these spaces for dialogue: “Thank you to Conferencias iGaming for the invitation to participate in this panel. Thanks to Geraldine for coordinating us, and it was a pleasure to share ideas and opinions with my friend Daniel from BMM Testlabs, who has extensive experience in international regulations and certifications.”
Sponsor Support
The panel has the support of important sponsors who recognize the relevance of regulation in the development of the iGaming market in Mexico. Among them, BMM Testlabs as Gold Sponsor, and Kushki as Silver Sponsor.
Event Details:
Date: November 6
Time: 10:00 a.m. (Mexico)
Registration: Register here
Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this essential conversation for the future of the industry. Secure your place and access a key analysis on the dynamic iGaming market in Mexico!
Latest News
Paige Spiranac Expands SportsGrid’s Content Portfolio with Exclusive Sports and Casino-Themed Shows
SportsGrid, the leading free ad supported television network in the sports genre, proudly announces a multi-year partnership with former professional golfer and social media’s most followed golf personality and social media sensation Paige Spiranac. Under this agreement, Spiranac will lead exclusive original casino-themed programming, marking a significant expansion in SportsGrid’s content offerings.
As one of the most recognizable influencers in the world of sports and entertainment, Spiranac brings her signature charisma, deep sports knowledge, and passion for gaming to the new role. She will team with Emmy Award-Winning Executive Producer and EVP of Programming and Development, Scott Lasky, and headline a series of shows featuring engaging sports and casino content, offering fans an unparalleled mix of strategy, insight, and entertainment.
“We are thrilled to welcome Paige Spiranac to the SportsGrid family,” said Jeremy Stein Co-Founder and CEO of SportsGrid. “Her dynamic personality, love for gaming, and connection with sports fans perfectly align with our mission to deliver unique and captivating content. Paige’s presence in our casino programming is a game-changer, and we look forward to seeing her elevate our viewers’ experience as we pioneer this new category.”
The programming will be available across SportsGrid’s platforms, providing fans with 24/7 access to engaging and informative content that blends entertainment with Spiranac’s signature charm and insight.
“I’m thrilled to join SportsGrid and dive into the world of sports gaming with a network that’s truly pushing boundaries in sports and casino entertainment,” said Spiranac. “Creating unique, interactive content for fans who share my passion for gaming is something I’m incredibly excited about. Together with SportsGrid, I look forward to bringing a fresh perspective and delivering the fun, engaging experiences that fans expect and deserve.”
The partnership further solidifies SportsGrid’s position as the leading media platform in the sports wagering and gaming space. With the addition of Spiranac’s unique style and undeniable star power, SportsGrid continues to innovate and set new standards of what’s possible in digital sports entertainment.
SOFTSWISS, a global tech company with over 15 years of experience in iGaming, introduces a new Geo-Distributed Redirect feature of Affilka by SOFTSWISS that helps operators improve engagement and conversion rates by reducing user redirect times.
The Geo-Distributed Redirect feature intelligently routes users to destination landing pages via regional clusters closest to their location. This geo-optimised infrastructure minimises redirect times, increasing successful website visits from referral links. The feature is designed for seamless scalability across multiple regions and enhances performance globally, wherever needed.
With the new feature, Affilka by SOFTSWISS reduced redirect duration by 2.5 to 5 times. At one of the regions, for example, extensive simulated tests showed a decrease in redirect times for users from 1.5 seconds to 300-500 milliseconds – this is one of the fastest responses available in the market. As a result, the feature implementation leads to a 3.5% to 7% growth in users successfully reaching casino sites. This increase in site traffic, in turn, directly contributes to more registrations and deposits.
The Geo-Distributed Redirect feature boosts conversions, accelerates redirects, enhances fault tolerance and high availability, and improves service reliability for users globally. Even during unexpected challenges, the system dynamically reroutes traffic to alternative resources, ensuring a seamless experience.
Gleb Bichan, Product Lead at Affilka by SOFTSWISS, shares his excitement: “With the launch of our Geo-Distributed Redirect feature, we are addressing the needs of clients targeting users worldwide. By reducing redirection times and increasing reliability, we enable our partners to deliver a superior user experience that drives traffic delivery and conversions. This feature is a significant improvement for customers looking to expand their global reach.”
Along with affiliate marketing, SEO website advancement helps operators promote their projects. Considering this, SOFTSWISS issued a comprehensive Casino SEO Audit: The Ultimate Guide, providing tips for increasing any iGaming project’s visibility.
The SOFTSWISS team looks forward to sharing the details of the Geo-Distributed Redirect feature and other product updates at the upcoming SiGMA Europe Expo. Current and potential partners can book a meeting with company representatives at stand 2145 through the contact form.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
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