The Louisiana Gaming Control Board reports mobile sportsbook operators compiled a $368.3 million betting handle in October, an increase of 33.3% year-over-year and 15.1% from $320 million in September.
Mobile revenues also crept up 4.7% year-on-year but slid by 13.1% month-on-month. Additionally, the amount deducted from promotions was much lower in October, $1.3 million, compared to September, $2.7 million, making the reduced revenue from the increased sports betting handle even more stark.
NBA season start sees betting revenues soar
Football and basketball revenues significantly increased month-on-month in Louisiana, rising by 108.5% and 233%, respectively. The NFL season kicked off in September, with both September and October having the same number of NFL weekends, so the huge difference in revenue is not likely down to the volume of wagers. Meanwhile, the NBA season tipped off in October, leading to a massive revenue increase.
Interestingly, this trend is reversed if you look at the year-on-year data. Football betting revenues dropped by 1.8% year-on-year, while basketball revenues fell by 2.9%.
| Market | Revenue |
|---|---|
| Parlay | $23.4 million |
| Football | $7.2 million |
| Basketball | $2 million |
| Baseball | $1.6 million |
| Soccer | $303,652 |
| Other | $6.9 million |
While football and basketball revenues thrived, every other sector categorized by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board fell month-on-month. The largest revenue generator, parlay betting, dropped from $31.5 million to $23.4 million. Baseball, soccer, and other sports posted revenue falls of 30.5%, 34.2%, and 25.3%, respectively.
Other sports contributed to the increase in year-on-year revenues, jumping from $1.5 million in October 2023 to $6.9 million in October 2024. Soccer revenues increased by 72.7%. However, parlay and baseball revenues fell year-on-year.
The mixed results from October meant the 4.7% state-wide revenue growth was the lowest jump in the financial year 2024/2025. The previous low was September at 30.9%. For FY 2024/2025, overall revenue growth sits at 25.9%
Huge month-on-month drop in retail betting revenues
Retail sportsbooks reflected very similar trends to online sports betting, with the October betting handle a 3.7% increase year-on-year. Month-on-month, Louisiana sports betting revenues also grew by 6.1%. However, revenues took a huge hit, with Pelican State retail sportsbooks only collecting $477,289, that state’s lowest revenue total in 2024.
For comparison, Louisiana sportsbooks collected $5.3 million in revenues in September, dropping almost 91%, and $3.3 million in October 2023 for a decline of 85.3%.
| Market | Revenue |
|---|---|
| Parlay | $457,278 |
| Football | $437,142 |
| Basketball | $250,006 |
| Baseball | -$800,052 |
| Soccer | -$5,417 |
| Other | $151,151 |
Baseball betting was the most significant contributor to this lower state-wide revenue. Louisiana sportsbooks lost more than $800,000 on baseball wagers during October, offsetting year-on-year growth in basketball, football, and other sports revenues.
Another key contributor was the fall in parlay revenues, which dropped to just $457,278 in October, compared to $3.6 million in September and $2.5 million in October 2023.
