Rovell: New Jersey Sports Betting Handle Tops $540 Million, Beats Nevada in January

Rovell: New Jersey Sports Betting Handle Tops $540 Million, Beats Nevada in January article feature image
Credit:

Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Circa Sports.

For the fourth time in nine months, New Jersey bested Nevada in total amount of money bet on sports.

When Nevada’s January numbers came in on Friday from the state's Gaming Control Board, the total sports handle was $502.5 million, $37.6 million lower than New Jersey in the month ($540.1 million). It represented the first month during football season that the Garden State prevailed over the betting capital.

Friday also marked the first time that Nevada released how much of its handle comes via mobile bets. The state reported that 48.9% of all the bets for the month were placed outside of the book. New Jersey, on the other hand, does the lion's share of its betting business via mobile. The Garden State reported that 87% of the money bet on sports this month came via mobile wagering platforms, one percentage point lower than its record-high of 88% in December.


Looking to bet on sports? Check out FanDuel. Get up to a $500 risk-free bet at FanDuel today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.


Nevada also released hockey handle for the first time. The state used to lump hockey betting in the “other” line item. The hockey handle in January was $24.1 million.

Also of note is the fact that the football hold percentage for Nevada sports books was only 2.64%, which is the lowest since January 2017, which is the last time the Nevada books lost money on football.

Pennsylvania came in third for the month of January with a total handle of $348.4 million — a new record for the Keystone state — followed by Indiana ($170.8 million).

About the Author
Darren is a Senior Executive Producer at The Action Network, covering all angles of the sports betting world. He spent two stints at ESPN, from 2000-06 and 2012-18, he regularly wrote for ESPN.com and contributed to ESPN shows, including SportsCenter and Outside The Lines. He also served as a business correspondent for ABC News, where he made appearances on the network’s flagship shows, including “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight” and “Nightline.” While at CNBC from 2006-2012, Rovell anchored five primetime documentaries, including “Swoosh! Inside Nike,” which was nominated for an Emmy. Rovell also contributed to NBC News, where he earned an Emmy as a correspondent for the network’s Presidential Election coverage.

Follow Darren Rovell @darrenrovell on Twitter/X.

This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.