In the post-Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) era, Nevada may have ceded its overall dominance in the US sports wagering market, but it still leads in one significant category: per-capita sports betting.
Circa Sportsbook in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. The state is the US leader in terms of per-capita sports betting. (Image: Las Vegas Weekly)
A recent study by Gamdom Casino, a French cryptocurrency casino operator, reveals that this year, the average Nevadan will place $1,815 worth of sports bets—nearly three times the national average. This figure puts Nevada well ahead of New Jersey ($1,398) and New York ($1,087).
“This data clearly shows the states that are embracing sports betting the most,” said Felix Romer, founder of Gamdom, in a statement to The Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The amounts wagered in the top few states are quite astounding when compared to the average state where sports betting is legal.”
Currently, some form of sports betting is operational in 38 states and Washington, DC, with Missouri slated to join that group next year. Before the 2018 Supreme Court ruling on PASPA, Nevada was the unrivaled mecca of US sports betting.
Nevada Per-Capita Statistic Impressive
While Nevada ranks fifth in terms of sports betting revenue behind New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, and third in handle behind New Jersey and New York, its status as the leader in per-capita sports betting is particularly notable.
Several factors make this statistic impressive:
- In-Person Registration: Nevada requires in-person visits to casinos to sign-up for mobile betting accounts, a burdensome policy that experts believe costs the state money.
- Lack of Major Operators: Due to the requirement that sportsbook operators have ties to casinos located in the state, FanDuel and DraftKings—the two largest sportsbook companies—do not operate in Nevada. Should Nevada loosen the in-person registration mandate and allow FanDuel and DraftKings to enter the market, the state’s sports wagering handle and revenue could grow significantly.
Currently, there is no movement among Nevada politicians and regulators to eliminate the in-person registration requirement.
Other Sports Betting Per-Capita Leaders
After Nevada, New Jersey, and New York, the states with the highest per-capita sports betting include:
- Massachusetts: Ranks fourth.
- Arizona: Seen as a credible threat to surpass Nevada in revenue terms, ranks fifth.
- Maryland and Illinois: Rank sixth and seventh, respectively.
- Colorado, Kansas, and Iowa: Round out the top ten.
Interestingly, Pennsylvania, which is a giant in handle and revenue terms, ranks just 19th on a per-capita basis with an average of $484 in annual sports wagers placed by bettors in the state.
At the bottom is South Dakota, with an annual per-capita sports betting spend of just $7.63. This low figure could be due to the state allowing sports betting only at tribal casinos and gaming venues in Deadwood.
