October 2019 saw legal Indiana sports betting approach the $100 million mark in bets. November’s numbers not only surpassed that milestone, but set the bar even higher.
For 2019, November’s total handle came to over $147.27 million. The state’s sportsbooks collected almost $9.3 million of that in revenue, actually representing a downturn from the $11.54 million tallied in the previous month.
Still, a 61% growth in handle from October’s $91.7 million is significant. If the expansion continues at the current rate, the first $200 million month isn’t far away.
Details on Indiana November sports betting numbers
Three months into legal sports betting in Indiana, some trends are beginning to emerge. One of those is the success of online sportsbooks in the state.
Mobile betting accounted for $96.21 million in wagers collected in November, representing 65 percent of total handle. Despite there only being three apps live in Indiana so far, they managed to bring in nearly double that of the 14 retail locations.
Once again, DraftKings dominated the mobile part of bets for the month.
It was the first full month of activity in the Hoosier State for all three mobile operators. Although BetRivers and DraftKings were live for most of October, they missed the first two days of the month.
FanDuel didn’t come in until much later in October, but all three were open for business throughout November. The handle for the three sports betting apps in Indiana during November was:
- BetRivers: $8.39 million
- DraftKings: $64.08 million
- FanDuel: $23.73 million
Once again, DraftKings took in more bets than BetRivers and FanDuel combined. That helped the Ameristar East Chicago again lead the pack in total handle from all sources.
Ameristar sets the pace again in retail sports betting handle
The Ameristar, largely thanks to its partnership with DraftKings, accounted for nearly half of the total handle wagered throughout the state in November. A breakdown by facility can be found below.
| Casino | Handle | Retail Sports Betting Handle | Mobile Sports Betting Handle | Revenue* | Taxes (9.5%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | $147.27 million | $51.07 million | $96.21 million | $9.29 million | $883,361 |
| Ameristar (DraftKings) | $72.07 million | $7.99 million | $64.08 million | $4.32 million | $410,048 |
| Belterra | $920,344 | $920,344 | N/A | $88,024 | $8,362 |
| Blue Chip (FanDuel) | $28.19 million | $4.47 million | $23.73 million | $1.98 million | $188,170 |
| Caesars Southern Indiana | $1.41 million | $1.41 million | N/A | $84,310 | $8,009 |
| French Lick Resort (BetRivers) | $9.63 million | $1.24 million | $8.39 million | $487,429 | $46,306 |
| Harrah's Hoosier Park** | $6.97 million | $6.97 million | N/A | $463,958 | $44,076 |
| Hollywood Lawrenceburg | $8.78 million | $8.78 million | N/A | $861,360 | $81,829 |
| Horseshoe Hammond | $12.96 million | $12.96 million | N/A | $671,826 | $63,823 |
| Indiana Grand*** | $4.19 million | $4.19 million | N/A | $199,083 | $18,913 |
| Tropicana Evansville | $2.01 million | $2.01 million | N/A | $125,452 | $11,918 |
| Rising Star | $110,300 | $110,300 | N/A | $20,076 | $1,907 |
*Revenue represents adjusted gross revenue (AGR) after adjustments.
**Harrah’s Hoosier Park includes figures for Winner’s Circle OTBs in Indianapolis and New Haven.
***Indiana Grand includes figures for Winner’s Circle OTB in Clarksville.
The Ameristar’s growth surpassed all of its competition as well. The casino’s $72.07 million in total handle was a 56% increase over the $46.16 it took in last month.
All of Indiana’s operators are still riding the high of the college football and NFL seasons. But there are other sports also contributing to the current growth in handle.
Indiana November handle broken down by sport
College football and the NFL were responsible for about 39% of the total handle for November in Indiana. That is down about six percent from October.
Basketball rose to make up that difference, as Hoosier State bettors put down over $33.62 million on the hardwood during the past month. Parlays involving multiple sports accounted for another $38.66 million.
It’s in the best interest of the sportsbooks if basketball betting continues to grow. The college football and NFL seasons are winding down, although their two biggest events of the year are yet to take place.
The college football playoffs, NFL playoffs and Super Bowl LIV should be three of the biggest betting events of the year. That could be especially true in Indiana, as up to four new mobile sportsbooks could launch by Super Bowl Sunday.
‘Tis the season for even more growth in Indiana
Even the existing sportsbooks will likely have special promotions for those upcoming events. The synergy of the big games and marketing could create the best month for Indiana sports betting yet. It could even be the month that Indiana clears the lofty $200 million mark.
So far, each progressive month has been the best month ever for legal sports betting in Indiana. It’s unclear whether that will continue in December but if it does, $200 million in handle shouldn’t be far off.
