The return of the NFL contributed to more than $200 million in wagers at Indiana’s sportsbooks in September.
PlayIndiana.com reported bettors wagered $207.5 million for the month, according to state figures released Oct. 9. Indiana’s previous wagering record was $187.2 million set in February.
September’s result is up 489% from the $35.2 million handle the industry posted in September 2019, the first month of legal sports betting in the state, PlayIndiana.com said. The launch of sports betting in Indiana had minimal impact on Indiana.
“Indiana has benefitted from Illinois’ relatively slow launch and its inconsistency with in-person registration requirements, buying Indiana time to continue to capitalize on the Chicago market,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “Indiana’s balanced regulatory framework remains attractive to operators, which has kept the market on relatively firm footing, too (and) those factors were key in kicking off the football season in record fashion.”
Online betting generated 83.5%, or $173.2 million, of September’s handle, PlayIndiana.com reported. That is down from 85.1% in August.
DraftKings/Ameristar Casino topped the online market with $89.4 million in bets, up from $73.7 million in August. September’s wagers led to $3.2 million in gross receipts, down from $5.2 million August.
September’s bets produced $14.3 million in adjusted gross revenue for the state’s operators, up 66.9% from $8.6 million in September 2019 and topping the previous record $12.2 million set in January.
PlayIndiana.com reported September’s totals should keep Indiana in fourth place nationally, ahead of Illinois, which produced $139.8 million in August, and Colorado, which posted $128.6 million handle in August.
Football betting generated $48.4 million in wagers even with the Big Ten football season postponed, as bettors focused on the Indianapolis Colts. Basketball betting produced another $34.2 million in bets and baseball contributed $30.5 million in wagers.
“The strong start to the season by the Colts has undoubtedly spiked interest in football betting,” Welman said. “With Big Ten football planning a return this month, and assuming the Colts remain a contender, sportsbooks are suddenly eyeing a particularly busy fall.”
