Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Super Bowl Spurs Virginians To Bet $402M on Sports in February

  • Virginia reported a total sports betting handle of $402 million in February.
  • The figure is a significant increase from the $266 million the state saw wagered during the same period last year.
Super-Bowl
Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY NETWORK

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Virginia reported a total sports betting handle of $402 million in February, a 51.2% increase from the $266 million the state saw wagered during the same period last year.

Bettors in the state pocketed $374 million in February, down from the $446 million bettors won the month prior, partly due to an abundance of wagers placed on Super Bowl LVI, which was played on Feb. 13. 

Virginians shelled out roughly $33 million on the Los Angeles Rams’ 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

  • In January, Virginia reported a total handle of $486 million, while revenue reached $39 million.
  • Despite the drop, year-to-year comparisons are deemed better indicators of market maturity due to the sports calendar. 

Virginia legalized online sports betting in January 2021 and has since posted a total handle of $4.1 billion, generating $352 million in revenue. Tax revenue has reached $25 million.

The state has benefited from a regulation in Washington, D.C., that only permits mobile sport bets to be placed within two blocks of Capital One Arena and Nationals Park, respectively.

Virginia has placed a 15% tax on sports betting activity, which is based on each gambling operators’ adjusted gross revenue. In February, monthly tax revenue reached $1.4 million. To date, Virginia has generated roughly $23.6 million in tax revenue.

Record Breakers

New York, which permitted mobile sportsbooks to launch on Jan. 8, reported a total handle of more than $1.6 billion in its first month of legal sports betting — the single-month record for any state. The total included six sportsbooks, which posted $113 million in revenue in January.

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

Goodell Addresses Steve Tisch, Paris Concerns, NFL Officiating

Goodell also talked about Jay-Z and Super Bowl halftime rumors.
Polymarket logo appears in this illustration taken April 22, 2026.

Polymarket Removes Cornell 7 Market After Blowback

The market was only available on Polymarket’s international platform.

NBA Draws New Lines on What Fans Can Bet On

The league is restricting risky player props.
Kalshi logo appears in this illustration taken April 22, 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.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/21/26 – T-Mac Backs Clippers Penalty, 80-to-1 Rays Haunt Sportsbooks, Jay-Z Picks Jay-Z

0:00

Featured Today

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

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.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?
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.

Senator Says Sportsbooks VIP Betting Inquiry Will Expand

Sen. Richard Blumenthal tells FOS he’ll look at prediction markets, too.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington D.C., U.S., August 19, 2026.
Exclusive
September 29, 2026

Trump Admin Preparing Crackdown on Prediction-Market Promos

The CFTC is looking at incentives like “risk-free” bets.
Sep 17, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) dives safely into third base after advancing on an errant New York Mets pickoff throw to first base during the seventh inning at Citi Field. novig
Exclusive
September 30, 2026

Novig to Quadruple Valuation With New Funding Round

The company is fundraising at a $2 billion valuation.
Sponsored

Blake Griffin’s Plan for Media Domination

The former NBA star is building a second act across media & entertainment.
Asset Class
September 22, 2026

The Firms That Power Prediction-Market Trades

“Essentially, our role is to help bridge demand across time and space.”
Apr 1, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) brings the ball up the court against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter at Delta Center.
September 22, 2026

Ryan Smith Doesn’t Want Betting to Take Over Sports

“I think we need a little more moderation in all of it.”
Jason Robins Front Office Sports
September 15, 2026

DraftKings CEO Fires Back at Headline Calling Company ‘Struggling’

“We’re doing great,” Jason Robins said in response to the article.
First at FOS
September 15, 2026

WNBA Union Rips NBA for Exclusion From Betting Letter

Five men’s sports leagues sent a memo to regulators about betting-related harassment.