That’s worth repeating: a 1% increase in betting yielded a 49% boost in revenue. But gross revenue reported in those states was $512 million, an increase of 49% over 2022. The first 15 states to report results for March showed handles almost identical to the same month last year, combining to take $5.45 billion in wagers, up 1% from 2022. It looks like sportsbooks are starting to see a return on the seed money that they scattered to acquire customers over the last few years. Are we seeing early signs of sportsbook profitabiity? But they’ll breed more trust if the facts are laid bare for all to see. Leagues should release the findings of their investigations whenever they take action against a player, revealing who bet, when they bet, how much they bet and what they bet on. But if the goal is to preserve integrity, the process must be transparent. Today’s indefinite suspension of three NFL players accused of betting on games sends a firm, cautionary message to players across sports.
