It had been a rough couple of months for the sports betting industry in the state of Indiana, but August showed signs of things turning back around. The total sports betting handle jumped up nearly 11 percent from July, and it should pave the way for a big month of September.
The total handle in Indiana last month was $215.6 million, and that is still well below where it was earlier in the year. The return of NFL football in September should bring about more action, especially as the Indianapolis Colts are expected to be a top team in the NFL.
The total sports betting revenue in Indiana for the month of August actually fell by more than five percent, but getting more action is a step in the right direction. Indiana is one of the first states to report on August sports betting numbers, but a big jump is expected throughout the United States.
Top Operators Remain the Same
Indiana is a state that continues to see new sportsbooks receive a license and offer betting, but the top two options have remained the same. DraftKings and FanDuel are two of the top names in the US sports betting industry, and they have dominated the market in Indiana as well.
DraftKings Sportsbook had over $74 million in online handle last month, which made that operator the clear leader. FanDuel Sportsbook was next on the list with a $52.6 million in total handle, but it continues to fall farther behind its top competitor.
BetMGM and Barstool were third and fourth on the list for the month of August, but both operators were well behind the top two spots.
Not Much Retail Action
Indiana does offer both online and retail sports betting, but nearly all of the action has been done online since the launch. The COVID-19 protocols kept bettors from placing in-person bets in 2020, but those restrictions have been lifted in the state.
In August, 92 percent of all wagers were placed online or through a mobile device. Most states in the US continue to see that ratio be close to 90 percent, and Indiana is only slightly above average.
Baseball was the most popular sport to bet on during the month of August, but that is the final month that sport will be the most attractive option until next Summer.
Indiana Hits Some Milestones
Indiana officially launched sports betting in September 2019, and this month marks the two-year anniversary of the launch. The Hoosier State was one of the first in the Midwest to legalize sports betting, but there is now plenty of competition in that part of the country.
With the nice jump in sports betting for the month of August, Indiana has now gone over the $2 billion threshold for total betting handle in 2021. Indiana has also seen more than $4 billion in legal sports wagers since the industry was first offered in 2019.
Indiana did enjoy several months as one of the five biggest sports betting markets in the United States, but that is no longer the case.
