Massachusetts January Gambling Revenues Increase Marginally

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently released its casino gambling and sports betting revenue report, revealing a slight increase in total taxable revenue compared to the previous month.

The combined gross gaming revenue (GGR) from the state’s three casinos, namely Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield, and Encore Boston Harbor, amounted to approximately $93.54 million in January. Although this figure represented a slight decrease from the previous month’s earnings of $103.03 million, it is important to note that casino business tends to be seasonal, with January typically being a slower month.

Among the three casinos, Encore Boston Harbor emerged as the leader, generating $60.9 million in revenue from slots and table games. MGM Springfield followed with $20.7 million, while Plainridge Park, which exclusively offers slots, made a total of $11.8 million in revenue.

In addition to casino revenues, Massachusetts also experienced a surge in sports betting activity. The state generated approximately $71.13 million in taxable sports wagering revenue in January, showcasing the growing popularity of this form of gambling. Massachusetts players collectively wagered $651.7 million during the period, a slight decrease from the previous month’s handle of $658.7 million.

Online betting played a significant role in the overall sports betting revenue, contributing the lion’s share with $69.9 million coming from mobile platforms and a modest $1.2 million from retail sportsbooks. This highlights the increasing preference for online sports betting among Massachusetts residents.

Among the individual operators in the online betting market, DraftKings emerged as the leader in January. The operator reported $36.1 million in revenue from $311.4 million in online bets. FanDuel, owned by Flutter Entertainment, secured the second position, generating $25.1 million in revenue from a handle of $194.03 million. BetMGM lagged behind in third place, with $3.8 million in revenue from $36.8 million in total online wagers.

While there was a slight decrease in casino and sports betting revenues from December, it is important to note that the overall performance remained strong. Total taxable revenue for the month from both activities amounted to $164.67 million, indicating a slight increase from December’s $163.6 million.