Arizona Sports Betting Handle Falls to 10-Month Low in June

Bettors in Arizona placed $543 million in sports wagers during June 2025, according to new figures from the Arizona Department of Gaming. The total marked the lowest monthly handle since August 2024, underscoring the seasonal downturn that typically occurs after the NBA Finals and before the NFL preseason.

Although handle dipped compared to the spring, the June performance still reflected a healthy year-on-year gain of 19.6%. This growth shows that sports wagering in Arizona continues to expand its customer base and remains on track for long-term revenue growth despite month-to-month volatility.

Seasonal Decline After Spring Peak

The June handle fell sharply from the $707.1 million reported in May, representing a 23.1% month-to-month drop. Industry analysts attribute the decline to the sports calendar, which slows considerably in summer months when fewer high-profile events are available to bettors. Baseball and smaller international competitions help sustain activity, but wagering volumes typically do not match those generated by March Madness, the NBA playoffs, or the start of the NFL season. This cyclical downturn is not unique to Arizona. Similar trends are seen across the U.S., where summer betting activity consistently lags before rebounding in late August and September with the return of football.

Arizona’s market remains overwhelmingly digital. In June, $540 million of the $543 million handle came from online sportsbooks, while retail locations contributed just $2.6 million. The state has now firmly established itself as an online-first betting market, a trend mirrored in most other regulated jurisdictions. From this activity, players received $478.8 million in winnings, leaving $67.3 million in gross receipts for operators. However, once accounting for $16.8 million in free bets and promotional credits, adjusted gross receipts came to $50.5 million. Despite the decline in handle, this figure represented a 59.8% year-on-year increase and was only 2.5% lower than May’s total, highlighting the strength of operator margins.

The month’s hold rate—the percentage of wagers kept by sportsbooks—was 9.29%, a level considered healthy by industry standards and slightly above the national average.

 

Operator Performance: FanDuel on Top

At the operator level, FanDuel once again led the Arizona market. The company posted $18 million in post-promotion revenue from a handle of $177.6 million, resulting in a 10.14% hold. FanDuel’s consistent leadership reflects its strong brand presence and continued investment in customer acquisition. DraftKings ranked second with $14.6 million in adjusted receipts from $158.5 million in wagers, giving it a 9.21% hold. BetMGM followed in third place, generating $5.9 million from a $54.8 million handle for a 10.77% hold.

One of the standout performers was ESPN Bet, which produced $4 million in revenue from a $28.3 million handle. Its 14.13% hold was the highest among major operators, signaling strong margins even on a relatively smaller base of betting volume. Fanatics Sportsbook rounded out the top five, reporting $2.9 million in revenue from $44.5 million in wagers, equal to a 6.52% hold.

The diversity of operator results illustrates how strategies differ across the market. FanDuel and DraftKings continue to drive the majority of handle, while emerging platforms like ESPN Bet and Fanatics are leveraging niche strategies to capture higher-margin bettors. For the state, sports betting generated $5 million in tax revenue in June. Nearly all of that—just under $5 million—came from online wagering, while retail betting contributed only $70,549. Though tax receipts were modest compared with spring months, the figure still demonstrates steady contributions to state coffers during a seasonal lull. As the NFL season approaches, officials expect collections to rise significantly in the fall, when Arizona historically records some of its highest betting volumes.

 

June’s results highlight the seasonality of sports betting in Arizona. While handle fell to its lowest point in nearly a year, revenue and tax contributions remain on an upward trend compared to 2024.

 

Market Outlook

While June marked a low point for handle in the past 10 months, the underlying data points to ongoing growth. Adjusted gross receipts rose sharply compared to last year, and operator margins held steady even as betting slowed.

Industry observers note that Arizona’s trajectory mirrors trends across other major betting states: summer downturns give way to sharp rebounds in September and October. With football season approaching, operators are likely to ramp up marketing, promotions, and customer engagement, which could push Arizona’s monthly handle back above $700 million later this year.