Indiana Sports Handle Tops $300 Million

The sports betting industry in Indiana continues to set new records, this time breaking the $300 million mark in total handle for the first time.

The Indiana Gaming Commission announced earlier this week that total sports betting handle during the month of December was $313.4 million.

The $313.4 million was a 25 percent increase from the total in November, and it represented a terrific finale to a great year of  Indiana sports betting growth in the state. The December record is expected to be shattered at some point in 2021 as long as this trend continues.

A year-to-year comparison shows just how much growth happened during 2020 as the December 2020 total was up more than 112 percent from the December 2019 figures. Indiana has established itself as one of the leading markets in the Midwest and nationwide.

Even though total sports betting handle was up, gross revenue was actually down $1 million in December. Revenue came in at $24.3 million after it was $25.3 million during the month of November.

Mobile sports betting continues to be the most popular form of betting in the state, accounting for more than 86 percent of all wagers during the month of December. Mobile betting handle was reported at $269.2 million during December 2020, up nearly 180 percent from the December 2019 total of just $96.2 million.

Football was the most popular sport to bet on during the month of December, accounting for over $101 million in wagers. That total was actually down from November, but the college football season was winding down.

DraftKings and FanDuel continue to lead the way in the Indiana sports betting market, combining for more than $190 million of the total handle. DraftKings operates through a partnership with Ameristar Casino, and FanDuel has an affiliation with Blue Chip Casino.

Online Casinos Could Be Next

Now that sports betting has been established in the state of Indiana, lawmakers are now looking to legalize online casino gambling. The online casino gambling industry is starting to take off throughout the US, and Indiana could join the group soon.

Senator Jon Ford recently introduced a bill that would allow the 14 Indiana casinos and racinos in the state to offer online gambling options. Online poker is also included in this bill, and it is expected to gain plenty of support in the coming weeks. For now those looking to play poker in the state have a range of fantastic Indiana poker rooms available.

Ford has been planning to introduce a bill since last October but officially did so this week. Initially, Ford did not include poker in his piece of legislation but ended up adding it after talking with other lawmakers.

Another bill was introduced by Senator Susan Glick that seeks to authorize video game terminals throughout the state. This would be another gaming option that would potentially bring in large amounts of revenue for the state of Indiana.

All of this is possible due to the success of the sports betting industry as lawmakers recognize the betting potential in the state. It’s unclear if and when online casino gambling and video gaming terminals would be legalized by lawmakers.

For more sports news and legal sports betting in Indiana, check out more stories on our blog.

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