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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowHoosiers wagered nearly $92 million on sports in October—the first month that mobile bets were accepted—according to numbers released Friday by the Indiana Gaming Commission.
The $91.7 million that Indiana sportsbooks accepted last month is almost triple the amount wagered in September when sports betting became legal. Total wagers that month were $35.2 million.
“Indiana is quickly becoming a star among legal sports betting markets in the U.S.,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIndiana.com, a news and research organization that follows sports gambling. “Indiana is so far ahead of its neighbors in Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Michigan, that the Hoosier state is well on its way to establishing itself as the gambling capital of the Midwest.”
In-person sports betting began at most of the state’s casinos and off-track betting facilities in September, but mobile wagering, which enables Hoosiers to place bets through their phones or computers without visiting a casino, had been slower to get started.
DraftKings, which is working with Ameristar Casino in East Chicago, and Rush Street Interactive, which is working with French Lick Casino, launched mobile options on Oct. 3.
And both of those casinos saw significant increases in wagers placed from September to October, supporting the prediction from industry experts that mobile wagering will seize most of the state’s sports betting market.
FanDuel, which is working with Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, started mobile betting on Oct. 22.
With the mobile option, Hoosiers do not have to register in-person before placing bets. Geo-fencing technology ensures that anyone placing a bet on their smartphone or computer is within Indiana’s borders.
The bets placed in October generated close to $1.1 million in tax revenue for the state, up from the $813,000 the state collected through wagering taxes in September.
Adjusted gross revenue for the sportsbooks reached $11.5 million, up from $8.6 million in September.
Hoosiers can wager on dozens of professional, collegiate and international sporting events, including football, basketball, baseball, auto racing, hockey, soccer, boxing, golf and Olympic competitions. Betting on high school or youth sports, along with e-sports, is prohibited.
Football continued to be the most popular sport to bet on, with $41.1 million in wagers placed in October.
Ameristar Casino by far generated the highest wagering total, with $46.2 million. The next highest was Horseshoe Hammond, near Chicago, with $10.7 million.
They were followed by:
French Lick Resort ($7.1 million);
Blue Chip Casino ($6.9 million);
Hollywood Lawrenceburg ($6.9 million);
Harrah’s Hoosier Park ($6.2 million);
Indiana Grand ($3.8 million);
Tropicana Evansville ($2 million);
Caesars Southern Indiana ($1.2 million);
Belterra Casino ($812,130).
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