Iowa Sets New Sports Betting Revenue Record in March

Sports wagering revenue in Iowa reached a new record of $13.5m in March, while the US state’s handle also hit a new monthly high of $161.4m.

The revenue total represented a 1,025.0% increase on the $1.2m reported in the same month 2020, the month in which the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic shuttered the state’s casinos and saw major leagues suspended. It also marked a 75.3% month-over-month rise on the $7.7m posted in February this year, as well as breaking January’s $11.3m revenue record.

Online sports betting accounted for $10.3m of total revenue for the month, some way ahead of retail on $3.1m. Handle also reached a record high of $161.4m, beating the previous record of $149.5m in January by 8.0%. This total was also 723.5% higher than $19.6m in March 2020.

Consumers spent $139.4m on internet sports betting during March, which is no longer subject to an in-person registration requirement, compared to $22.1m at retail sportsbooks. Players won $147.4m from sports wagering in the month, while operators paid a total of $908,011 in tax.

For the financial year to date, total sports betting revenue in the nine months to the end of March was $67.7m, with $46.7m attributed to online operations and $21.0m retail. Handle reached $874.0m in the nine-month period, $685.5m of which was spent online and $188.5m at retail sportsbooks.