The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) reported a year-on-year increase in sports betting handle and revenue during December.
Player spending in December amounted to $282.7m (£222.5m/€258.3m). This was 23.0% up from $229.9m in Iowa in December 2022 but 2.4% behind $289.7m in November 2023.
Of this total, $258.3m was spent betting on sports online, with a further $24.4m wagered at retail sportsbooks across Iowa.
Turning to revenue, this amounted to $26.3m in December, which was up 28.9% from $20.4m in the previous year and also 86.5% ahead of November’s $14.1m haul.
Online betting accounted for $23.6m of all revenue and retail wagering $2.7m.
Iowa players won a total of $256.5m from sports betting in December. The state was able to collect $1.8m in tax from wagering.
Diamond Jo Dubuque and FanDuel ahead of the pack in Iowa
Looking at individual operators, Diamond Jo Dubuque and partner FanDuel remain out in front in Iowa. Revenue from the partnership in December amounted to $7.2m from $68.7m in bets.
Wild Rose in Jefferson and DraftKings placed second with revenue of $4.0m and a $43.3m handle. Wild Rose in Emmetsburg, another DraftKings partner, was third with $3.0m worth of revenue from $27.5m in wagers.
The third Wild Rose facility and DraftKings partner, Wild Rose in Clinton, also had a positive month. Revenue amounted to $2.9m after players spent $31.1m in December.
As for year-to-date performance, total handle for the six months to the end of December was $1.32bn. During this period, the IRGC reported $112.7m in revenue and $1.21bn in player winnings.
Tax for the six-month period amounted to $7.6m.
