- Massachusetts sportsbooks took in $571.2 million in August wagers, up 4.8% from August 2025’s $545.3 million.
- Taxable sports wagering revenue fell 15.6% year over year to $47.09 million as the hold rate slid to 8.49%.
- Handle and revenue both fell from July, when bettors wagered $592.6 million and operators kept $65.56 million.
- Sports betting has sent $500.35 million in state taxes and assessments to Massachusetts since its 2023 launch.
BOSTON – Massachusetts sportsbooks took in $571.2 million in wagers in August, up 4.8% from a year earlier, but taxable sports wagering revenue fell 15.6% to $47.09 million, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission reported Sept. 21.
Hold Rate Explains The Drop
The hold rate is the share of every dollar wagered that sportsbooks keep after paying out winning bets, and it fell to 8.49% in August from 11.31% in July and 10.48% in August 2025, according to the commission’s monthly revenue reports.
A lower hold means operators paid out more in winnings relative to the amount wagered, which cut tax collections even as betting volume grew. Online operators, who wrote $566.4 million of the state’s $571.2 million total handle, saw their hold slide to 8.48%; the three retail sportsbooks held 9.32% on a much smaller $4.8 million in bets.
Where The Wagers Landed
The rate a book pays depends on where the bet is placed. Mobile apps owe 20% on taxable revenue under Category 3 licenses, a group of seven listed in the commission’s August release as DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics Betting & Gaming, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, theScore Bet and Bally Bet. In-person counters at Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino owe 15% under Category 1 licenses.
Measured Against July
August’s $571.2 million handle was 3.6% below July’s $592.6 million, and the $47.09 million in revenue was down 28.2% from July’s $65.56 million. The pattern mirrors April, when handle fell while revenue rose in the state as the hold rate moved the opposite way.
Massachusetts is one of dozens of states with legal sports betting. Each sports wagering tax dollar is divided five ways, the commission said. A penny goes to youth programs via the Youth Development and Achievement Fund and 9 cents to the Public Health Trust Fund. Another 17.5 cents is deposited in the Workforce Investment Trust Fund and 27.5 cents in the Gaming Local Aid Fund, while the largest slice, 45 cents, lands in the General Fund.
The formula covers all ten licensees now taking bets at Massachusetts sportsbooks, from the three retail casino books to the seven mobile apps.
