Arizona set a record for statewide handle in October, but that was not the only record that the state was involved in during the 10th month of 2024.
Statewide handle of $791.244 million broke the mark of $759.8 million, set in March 2024. But more than that, it pushed the nationwide handle, or amount wagered, over $15 billion for the first time. See our page about Arizona sports betting handle and revenue at BetArizona.com for more details about the scene in the Grand Canyon State.
But the big story is the national growth of sports betting, with nearly 40 states having legalized it in some form since the legal landscape for sports wagering changed in 2018. The final national handle in October was $15.225 billion, breaking the record of $14.471 billion set in November 2023.
Breakdown Of National Handle Record
The Arizona Department of Gaming reported its October sports betting figures on Jan. 8, the last state to do so. Arizona sportsbooks were hardly alone in setting a new standard; the Grand Canyon State was one of 16 states, plus Washington D.C., with a record high.
The biggest mark to fall was New York, which reset its own state record and the national standard with $2.329 billion in sports wagers accepted for the month. Massachusetts ($748.1 million), Virginia ($696.1 million), Maryland ($593.1 million), Tennessee ($547.8 million) and Indiana ($537.9 million) also surpassed half a billion in handle and broke their own records.
Other states surpassing their previous handle marks were Louisiana ($401.8 million), Kansas ($275.9M), Connecticut ($229.1M), Oregon ($81.7M), Arkansas ($60.4M), Maine ($52.3M), Delaware ($24.5M), Wyoming ($24.5M) and Montana ($7.6M). D.C. saw its record fall as well, with $65.8 million in bets.
Top 5 U.S. Sports Betting Months Ever
Growth of Sports Betting Nationwide
In all, 38 states have sports betting operational in some form. The majority offers online wagering, such as Arizona sports betting apps, plus betting at retail locations, usually casinos.
In most states that offer online wagering – via laptops, desktops or mobile devices – the sports betting handle relies heavily on that segment of the market. In Arizona during October, 99.1% of wagers were placed online. That is pretty typical of states where a mobile option is offered.
Boiling it down to exact numbers, the $15,225,369,735 in handle during October was an 18.8% increase in a year-over-year comparison with October 2023 ($12,818,033,540).
Why October Set Sports Betting Record
October had ideal conditions for setting records. As usual, it was a convergence of all the most popular sports – the NFL and college football seasons were in full swing, Major League Baseball had its playoffs, the NHL and NBA seasons got underway and other sports (tennis, soccer and golf for starters) had plenty to offer too.
And there were new sports betting markets in 2024, though the pace of expansion has slowed since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. The end of PASPA meant the beginning of sports betting expansion, as dozens of states lined up to make the practice legal in the few ensuing years. North Carolina launched in 2024 and immediately became a top-10 state in handle. The only other state to begin taking sports wagers in 2024 was Vermont.
In 2025, expect more records to fall as many states reach maturity with their sports betting markets and one of the missing pieces of the puzzle, Missouri, gets set for sports betting. The Show-Me State approved of a legal sports betting market in a ballot initiative in November 2024; the state is expected to launch late next year.
Arizona sports betting began in September 2021 and has hit its stride in 2024, accepting more than $6.212 billion in sports wagers with two months to go. In 2023, Arizona reported $6.574 billion in handle, so this year is sure to shatter that record.
Stick with BetArizona.com for more updates plus the best Arizona sports betting promo codes available.
USA Today photo by Michael Chow/The Republic
