Friday, November 6, 2026

After Months of Depressed Sports Betting Numbers, Handles On The Rise

Dunk
Ashley Landis/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Sportsbook operators generated $64.2 million in revenue during the second quarter, a 46.3% year-over-year drop, according to the American Gaming Association. It was the first quarterly decline since sports betting became legal in the U.S. in 2018.

Even with the mass stoppage of live events, sports betting revenue for the first half of 2020 was still up 10.4%. That was aided by 12 states opening legal sportsbooks over the last year. New Jersey is back on the pre-pandemic hot streak as it reported $315 million in July bets, up from $54.6 million in April. 

Reported Sports Betting Handles

Indiana

— April: $26.3 million

— July: $70.9 million

Iowa

— April: $1.6 million

— July: $22.9 million

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

First at FOS

DraftKings Cut More Jobs Ahead of Q3 Earnings

It’s at least the third round of layoffs for DraftKings this year.
Nov 2, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Exclusive

LeBron James Demands AI Betting App Stop Using His Likeness

James’s camp sent the company a cease and desist letter.
Fanduel logo appears in this illustration taken April 22, 2026.

FanDuel’s U.S. Revenue Is Bright Spot As Overall Earnings Miss

Flutter Entertainment cut its full-year revenue guidance by $300 million.
Attendees watch as Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks during a midterm rally hosted by Trump 47 Committee, Inc., Nov. 2, 2026, in the GA Terminal Hangar at Eugene F. Krantz Toledo Express Airport in Swanton, Ohio.

Prediction Markets Could Face Reckoning After Midterms

Experts say the industry will face bipartisan pressure regardless of the election’s outcome.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

11/6/26 – LIV Golf Is Over, LeBron vs. Bron AI App, Pegula’s Hot-Mic Moment

0:00

Featured Today

Can MLS Capitalize on Son-Mania?

Korea and Tottenham fans alike have flocked to LAFC’s away matches.
Pickering High School North
November 4, 2026

High School Athletic Directors Say They’re Running ‘Mini Colleges’

ADs are managing a growing list of demands from athletes and parents.
October 30, 2026

How Injuries Hit Pro Marathoners in the Wallet

Staying healthy can get expensive—quickly.
Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match
October 21, 2026

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
The ESPN logo is seen on an electronic display in Times Square in New York City, U.S., August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Exclusive

ESPN Warns Talent About Insider Betting on Prediction Markets

The guidelines were sent to on-camera talent at the end of October.
CEO of Kalshi Tarek Mansour speaks during the FIA Global Cleared Markets Conference Boca 2026, in Boca Raton, Florida, U.S., March 10, 2026.
October 29, 2026

Utah Escalates Kalshi Fight With Felony Charges

The prediction-market platform and its two cofounders were charged.
Fanduel logo appears in this illustration taken April 22, 2026.
Exclusive
November 2, 2026

FanDuel Interim CEO Set to Take Job Permanently

The new CEO has been with FanDuel for nearly 12 years.
Sponsored

How Jeremy Bloom Is Reinventing the X Games

Jeremy Bloom discusses transforming the X Games into a global brand.
October 22, 2026

Novig, ProphetX Told to Pause Scorigami, Micro Contract Plans

“It’s kind of a warning shot” to prediction markets, one source says.
Polymarket logo appears in this illustration taken April 22, 2026.
October 19, 2026

Polymarket Removes Cornell 7 Market After Blowback

The market was only available on Polymarket’s international platform.
Kalshi logo appears in this illustration taken April 22, 2026.
October 16, 2026

Who’s in Charge of the Oklahoma Tribe Doing Business With Kalshi?

Two men separately claim to lead a tribe doing business with Kalshi.
Cincinnati Bengal T.J. Houshmandzadeh places a $20 bet on the Cincinnati Bengals winning the Super Bowl during the FanDuel Sportsbook at Belterra Park Cincinnati Grand Opening at Belterra Park in Cincinnati.
October 7, 2026

Senator Says Sportsbooks VIP Betting Inquiry Will Expand

Sen. Richard Blumenthal tells FOS he’ll look at prediction markets, too.