Which U.S. states have the biggest sports bettors? One gaming site recently conducted a study to answer that question and the state of Nevada came out on top with more than $1,800 bet per capita.
Crypto gaming site Gamdom analyzed 2023 and early 2024 sports betting data to determine how much each resident in legal betting states is likely to spend. This forecasting method blends historical trends and past inaccuracies to give a precise outlook on the future of sports betting.
“Since its inception, sports betting has been a rapidly growing business in the states in which it’s legal,” site founder Felix Römer said. “This data demonstrates just that, and it’s certainly interesting to see which among those states are embracing it the most.”
Inside The Numbers
Unsurprisingly, the nation’s gambling capital of Nevada dominates the sports betting landscape with annual wagering of $5.8 billion. This equates to an average yearly per-capita spend of $1,815. This is 198% above the average for states with legal sports betting.
New Jersey was second with a total of almost $13 billion and a per-capita average of $1,398. Garden State residents bet 129% more per person than the average legalized state. New York came in third with a 2024 forecast of $21.3 billion wagered and a per-capita figure of $1,087, which is 78% above the average. Massachusetts ranks fourth at $7.3 billion, translating to $1,041 per person. Arizona comes in fifth with a handle of $6.9 billion, equating to $929 per-capita.
“The figures are generally quite astounding in their scale,” Römer said. “The amount of money wagered in the top few states is certainly a shocking statistic when compared to the average American state where sports betting is legal.”
Of all 32 states with legalized sports betting, South Dakota came in at the bottom of the list with a total handle of just $7 million and per-capita wagering of $7.63. Here’s a look at all states in the study.
| Rank | State | 2024 Total | Per Capita Spend |
| 1 | Nevada | $5,796,327,234 | $1,814.65 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $12,987,512,341 | $1,397.88 |
| 3 | New York | $21,276,643,183 | $1,087.14 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $7,286,718,597 | $1,040.75 |
| 5 | Arizona | $6,899,981,406 | $928.50 |
| 6 | Maryland | $5,680,491,288 | $919.14 |
| 7 | Illinois | $10,958,789,928 | $873.23 |
| 8 | Colorado | $4,884,902,206 | $831.10 |
| 9 | Kansas | $2,234,638,745 | $759.94 |
| 10 | Iowa | $2,340,980,495 | $729.96 |
| 11 | Indiana | $4,829,373,826 | $703.76 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $4,933,845,377 | $692.32 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $458,553,565 | $675.36 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $2,907,720,302 | $642.43 |
| 15 | Virginia | $5,453,659,942 | $625.73 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $2,769,802,402 | $605.59 |
| 17 | Ohio | $6,677,365,877 | $566.55 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $1,884,718,622 | $521.05 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $6,273,340,227 | $483.99 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $655,566,897 | $467.58 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $452,011,181 | $412.43 |
| 22 | Michigan | $3,735,217,703 | $372.14 |
| 23 | Maine | $481,306,674 | $344.84 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $148,171,380 | $253.69 |
| 25 | Vermont | $162,741,050 | $251.35 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $417,238,254 | $235.72 |
| 28 | Delaware | $179,984,067 | $174.42 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $438,127,089 | $142.82 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $268,730,255 | $91.41 |
| 31 | Montana | $60,077,290 | $53.03 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $7,014,416 | $7.63 |
In related news, the IRS recently detailed plans to recoup $1.5 billion in lost tax revenue from sports bettors since the Supreme Court overturned the virtual ban on wagering outside of Nevada in 2018.
