New York´s weekly sports betting handle tops $200M for first time since early July

Numbers released on Thursday by the New York State Gaming Commission show the state’s nine online sportsbooks topped $200 million in handle during the week ended August 21 — the first time cracking the $200-million threshold since the week ended July 3.

Up roughly $3 million from the previous week, this marks the fourth week in a row in which the legal sports betting handle increased in the Empire State, following a summer that saw weekly handle numbers drop by nearly $100 million over a seven-week span. Best revenue number in months

The National Football League's regular season is set to kick off soon, but the increase in action is already felt with the league's preseason — showcasing games Thursday to Sunday weekly — in full swing.

It wasn't just more action for New York either... it was profitable action.

Gross gaming revenue for the state last week was almost $24.4 million with a hold of 12.2% — sitting as the second-highest revenue total since mid-May and the third-largest hold percentage in the state's fiscal year.

FanDuel remains the leader in mobile handle for the previous week, as the New York-based bookmaker reported $85.5 million in wagering for the week ended August 21 and just over $12 million in gross revenue.

DraftKings held the second spot, with $55.7 million in bets, slightly down from the previous week (but generating about $1.5 million more revenue), while Caesars Sportsbook was in third, pulling in $26.9 million in bets and reporting just under $3 million in revenue.

by Jared Hochman