Study says Nevada leads nation in per-capita sports wagering
A report from a European bitcoin casino says Nevada is projected to be the top U.S. sports wagering state per capita in 2024.
While five states generate far more sports-betting revenue than Nevada — New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts and Arizona — the average Nevadan places more wagers than their counterparts in other states.
France-based Gamdom Casino says Nevadans will place $1,815 in sports bets in 2024 — 198 percent more than the average American.
Gamdom, based in La Valette-du-Var, France, is not licensed in the United States.
The company projects $5.8 billion will be wagered on sports in Nevada by the end of the year. The $1,815 per capita beats out New Jersey’s $1,398 and New York’s $1,087.
New York is projected to have the highest sports handle in 2024 at $21.3 billion, followed by New Jersey, $13 billion.
The rest of the top five include Illinois, $11 billion; Massachusetts, $7.3 billion; and Arizona, $6.9 billion.
But the per-capita total for those states are No. 4 Massachusetts, $1,041, and No. 5 Arizona, $929. Per capita, Maryland came in at No. 6 with $919 ($5.7 billion handle) and Illinois, $873.
“Since its inception, sports betting has been a rapidly growing business in the states in which it’s legal,” Felix Romer, founder of Gamdom, said in an emailed statement. “This data demonstrates just that, and it’s certainly interesting to see which among those states are embracing it the most. The figures are generally quite astounding in their scale. The amount of money wagered in the top few states is certainly a shocking statistic when compared to the average American state where sports betting is legal.”
According to the study, the average bettor will wager $609 on sports in 2024.
The rest of the top 10 per capita are Colorado, Kansas and Iowa.
Pennsylvania, an up-and-coming gaming market, is projected at 19th at $484 per capita.
Of the 32 states, plus the District of Columbia, the lowest figures show South Dakota with a handle of $7 million and per capita wagering of $7.63.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
