New York Sports Betting Handle Falls 15% in August

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Fri Sep 18, 2026, 8:00 am ET

Read Time: 3 minutes

New York Sports Betting Handle Falls 15% in August

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New York's sports betting market recorded a sharp slowdown in August 2026. The New York State Gaming Commission reported $1.73 billion in online wagers for the month. That figure represented a 15.2% decline from August 2025.

The results marked New York's first year-over-year handle decline since May. They also followed a stronger July, when operators benefited from the FIFA World Cup. As a result, the August figures highlight the impact of a quieter sports calendar.

New York Sports Betting Handle Drops to $1.73 Billion

Eight licensed operators generated approximately $1.73 billion in online handle during August. The total also fell 7.8% from July's $1.88 billion.

August lacked the major sporting events that boosted wagering during the previous two months. Instead, MLB, NFL preseason games, and college football's Week Zero drove betting activity.

Last year's comparison also created additional pressure. A single bettor wagered hundreds of millions of dollars through Fanatics during August 2025. Without that activity, Fanatics' handle would have fallen 60% year over year.

Nevertheless, the broader market also experienced a decline. The New York gambling sector therefore entered September with football season as its next major catalyst.

Stronger Hold Limits Revenue Decline

Despite the handle decline, operators managed to limit the impact on revenue. Gross gaming revenue reached approximately $168.5 million in August. That represented a 5.4% year-over-year decline.

The smaller revenue decline reflected a stronger sportsbook hold. Operators collectively retained about 9.7% of wagers, roughly one percentage point above August 2025. Consequently, US online sportsbooks kept more revenue from each dollar wagered.

The state collected roughly $85.9 million through its 51% sports betting tax rate. That pushed New York's year-to-date sports betting tax revenue above $810 million.

Operators also generated at least $30 million in revenue during every August week. That marked the second consecutive year with this weekly revenue pattern.

DraftKings Leads New York's August Market

DraftKings led the market in handle for the second consecutive month. The operator accepted approximately $614 million in wagers and posted a 9.2% hold. That produced roughly $56.3 million in gross gaming revenue.

FanDuel followed closely with approximately $599.6 million in handle. However, its 10.7% hold generated the state's highest operator revenue at $64 million.

Fanatics ranked third with $213.2 million in handle and $18.8 million in revenue. BetMGM accepted nearly $120 million, while Caesars recorded $112.4 million.

These results show how operator performance varied despite the broader market slowdown.

Football Season Could Lift September Betting

September brings a substantially stronger sports calendar to New York. The NFL and college football seasons should provide additional betting opportunities for operators.

Early figures already showed some improvement. The week ending September 6 produced $483.3 million in handle, a 15% weekly increase. However, that total remained 13.4% below the comparable week in 2025.

Therefore, September will provide a clearer indication of New York's market trajectory. Prediction markets could also affect the state's traditional betting activity, although August's results do not establish a direct connection.

For now, the August report shows a market facing lower wagering volume. However, stronger sportsbook holds helped cushion the decline for operators and New York's tax base.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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