Arizona
Colorado’s Sports Betting Market Surges, Attains Third Largest Status in the United States
Sports Betting in 2023: States that are wagering the most
New Jersey has spent the most per capita out of all states so far on sports betting in 2023 while New York has the second highest spend per capita followed by Colorado in third.
Currently between January and July this year, America has wagered over $59 billion. This is a 176% increase from the entire of 2020 and a 4% increase from 2021. Last year Americans wagered $85 billion so projections would suggest that in 2023 the total amount wagered may surpass over $100 billion.
Research by NoDepositRewards analyzed the state-wide reported figures up to July of 2023 and calculated how much has been wagered per capita (only including the population that is over 18) in every state.
Nevada has a handle of $1,766.44 per capita however we decided to not include this state in the rankings due to not being able to differentiate how much of this handle is from gambling tourism within Las Vegas.
1 – New Jersey
Legal online sportsbooks began taking bets in August of 2018, two months after the law was signed by Governor Phil Murphy. Since then, New Jersey has seen a huge increase in wagers. New Jersey so far in 2023 has wagered over $7.7 billion, which is equal to $1,069.30 per person. Handle per capita: $1,069.30.
2 – New York
It hasn’t taken long for New Yorkers to show their love of sports betting. With nine sportsbooks kicking off online betting in 2022. New York has seen the most money wagered in sports betting across all states with over $13 billion already wagered in 2023; that’s a 59% increase from the entire of 2022. New York does have a much higher population so this equates to $828.90 per capita. Handle per capita: $828.90.
3 – Colorado
Colorado legalized sports betting in 2020 and since then has seen huge growth in the market. With over $13 billion in total handle, $3 billion of that has been in 2023. Divided by the total adult population of around four million it equates to $685 per person. Handle per capita: $685.
4 – Illinois
Residents of?Illinois in 2023 have so far wagered just over $6.6 billion, which is a 40% increase from the first half of 2022. This means that each adult could have wagered $678.53 so far this year. Handle per capita: $678.53.
5 – Arizona
Arizona is also experiencing a surge in sports betting with $3.9 billion already wagered this year; that’s a 124% increase on 2021’s yearly figures. Arizona’s adult population is around 5.7 million, which means that each person could have wagered $677.27. Handle per capita: $677.27.
6 – Iowa
Iowa in total has wagered over $6.7 billion since sports betting was made legal. $1.5 billion of that total has been in 2023. Iowa has one of the lowest populations in this list with around 2.4 million adults. That means that between January and July this year each member of the population could have wagered $643.27. Handle per capita: $643.27.
7 – Maryland
Maryland began sports betting in 2021. Between January and June of 2022 residents of Maryland wagered around $173 million. So far in 2023 over $3.9 billion has been wagered, that’s a 18,166% increase. With just over 4.8 million adults in Maryland, that’s equal to $627.55 per person. Handle per capita: $627.55.
8 – Kansas
Kansas began sports betting in 2022 and so far in 2023 there has been over $1.3 billion in wagers, that’s equal to $601.53 per capita. Handle per capita: $601.53.
9 – Massachusetts
Massachusetts began sports betting in 2023 and already there has been over $3 billion, one of the largest figures achieved within the first year out of all states. When adjusted to the population this equates to $550.26 per capita.?Handle per capita: $550.26.
10 – Indiana
In 2022 Indiana wagered over $4.4 billion. So far in 2023 there have been over $2.8 billion in wagers, which shows that Indiana, although hasn’t experienced the same growth as some other states, is maintaining a solid baseline for possible future growth. Handle per capita: $549.36.
“Sports betting has been growing exponentially in America since its legalization in many states,” Mason Jones from NoDepositRewards said. “In just two years wagers have gone from $21 billion in 2020 to 85 billion in 2022. So far in 2023 there has been a total of $59 billion, this is a 176% increase on 2020 figures and a 3% increase on the whole of 2021 and it’s only halfway through the year. Sports betting seems to only be growing in popularity and trends suggest it will only continue to grow, especially as more states legalize it.
“This increased revenue from gambling has shown positives for governments as they have been able to tax it – over $3 billion has been made in tax revenue since 2018 – and utilize Americans’ love of betting to build and improve the nation at local and national levels. It’s important, however, to be aware of the risks of gambling and never gamble if you can’t afford to lose the money.”
Cease-and-desist letters cite alleged felonies and underage access tied to BetOpenly, Bookmaker, Club WPT Online Poker, Kutt Inc., and Raffle Creator.
The Arizona Department of Gaming said it has issued cease-and-desist orders to five online platforms—BetOpenly, Bookmaker, Club WPT Online Poker, Kutt Inc., and Raffle Creator—after investigations that the Department says involved alleged illegal gambling activity and underage access in Arizona.
In its announcement, the Department said each enforcement action alleges conduct giving rise to three felonies under Arizona law: promotion of gambling, illegal control of an enterprise, and money laundering. The agency cited Arizona’s prohibition on gambling unless specifically authorized (Ariz. Rev. Stat. Tit. 13, Ch. 33) and said the legal gambling age in the state is 21.
“Arizona is taking decisive action against illegal gambling operators that put Arizonans at risk,” said Jackie Johnson, Department Director. “Our top priority is protecting Arizonans and I’m grateful for the efforts of our intelligence unit led by Chief Law Enforcement Officer Doug Jensen to do just that. Through these cease-and-desist orders we are putting operators on notice: their conduct runs contrary to Arizona law and they must stop promoting illegal gambling.”
The Department’s letters describe different alleged violations by operator. For BetOpenly, the Department said peer-to-peer gambling rules prohibit third-party benefit, and alleged the platform benefited via a commission structure while enabling event wagering and daily fantasy sports contests without the required state licenses, including availability to underage Arizonans. For Bookmaker, the Department said its investigation found wagering on horse racing, casino games, and sports betting without an event wagering license or an advanced deposit wagering provider license, adding that online casino games are not legal in Arizona.
For Club WPT Online Poker, the Department alleged the platform enabled individuals under 21 in Arizona to enter pay-to-play online poker tournaments for prizes while using deceptive “no purchase necessary” language; the Department said online poker is illegal in Arizona. For Kutt Inc., the Department said Arizona “social” gambling prohibits third-party benefit and directed the operator to stop allowing Arizona users to deposit money and wager on sports, politics, pop culture, and casino-style games. For Raffle Creator, the Department said the operator did not meet requirements that allow Arizona nonprofits to conduct lawful raffles and alleged it allowed people under 21 to purchase tickets for prize chances.
The Department said the notified entities are directed to immediately stop all gambling operations and activities in Arizona “whether through mobile applications, online, or otherwise,” and to cease any future illegal gambling in the state. It added that future actions may include criminal charges or civil action against entities, principals, and employees, and that operators “may be subject to a potential award of restitution” and forfeiture of monies acquired due to the alleged conduct.
The post Arizona regulator orders five operators to stop alleged illegal gambling activity appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Governor Hobbs signs SB 1671; new budget sets $4M spend authority plus $500K a year from event wagering funds.
The Arizona Department of Gaming has secured a six-year continuation after Governor Hobbs signed Senate Bill 1671, following the 2026 legislative session that adjourned June 12, 2026. The continuation also covers the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission and the Arizona Racing Commission.
The Department said SB 1671 affirms its authority to regulate tribal gaming, event wagering and fantasy sports, horse racing and simulcast wagering, and boxing and mixed martial arts.
In parallel, the Department said Senate Bill 1847 and the state’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget expand expenditure authority for its Division of Problem Gambling. The budget authorizes $4,000,000 in total spending for the Division, which the agency said is a 20% increase from FY26.
The Department also said the legislature granted an annual $500,000 expenditure authority to use Event Wagering funds to support problem gambling, and that the Division will have grant oversight authority for the first time.
“Arizona first established the Department of Gaming in 1995 – and more than thirty years later, we remain excited about world-class regulation benefiting the entire state,” said Jackie Johnson, Department Director. “I’m grateful to Governor Hobbs and leaders in the state legislature, particularly continuation bill sponsor State Senator Shawnna Bolick, who thoroughly reviewed our agency with a deep commitment to public service, and I am pleased that the Department secured its continuation, which will allow us to strengthen our focus points in robust consumer protection and integrity.”
“The new state budget will strengthen longstanding investments in problem gambling assistance made possible through partnerships with Arizona’s Tribal Nations and the Arizona Lottery,” said Elise Mikkelsen. “We continue to see strong demand from individuals and families seeking information, resources, and treatment for gambling-related harm. This increased funding will help us expand the continuum of care and ensure more Arizonans have access to effective, inclusive, and timely support.”
The post Arizona extends Gaming Department for six years; problem gambling budget rises 20% appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
The post Arizona Department of Gaming Releases April 2026 Event Wagering and Fantasy Sports Figures appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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