The start of the NFL season brought Nevada back to the top in sports betting as players wagered $546.4m on sports in September, helping total gaming revenue climb 6.8% to $1.06bn.
The sportsbook handle exceeded New Jersey’s total of $445.6m, the first time since June that Nevada has led the way in terms of amounts wagered. The two states narrowly fell short of a combined $1bn on sports bets.
With the NFL’s return on 5 September and the first full month of collegiate games, football dominated sportsbook revenue with $39.1m from a handle of $377.5m. Baseball was the next most popular sport, as bettors spent $122.4m on baseball bets, bringing in $7.6m for casinos.
Parlay cards were the most profitable type of sports bet for Nevada casinos, producing $5.4m in revenue from $11.7m of bets.
With the NBA not in season in September, Nevada casinos $912,000 paid out more than they brought in on basketball bets, while other bets generated $872,000 of revenue from $30.6m of stakes.
Sportsbook revenue and handle comfortably hit a high for the year as the state generated revenue of $52.1m from the vertical, but both totals remained below September 2018’s figures. Sports betting revenue fell 7.5% while handle declined 4.3%.
Overall revenue for the state’s casinos rose back above $1bn, as slot revenue increased to $690.2m, up 8.3% year-on-year and 12.1% above August’s total. In total, players spent $9.55bn on slot machines.
Penny slots continued to be the largest driver of revenue in the state, bringing in revenue of $311m, up 10.39% from 2018, as customers spent $3.01bn. Multi-denominational slots, meanwhile, continued to see the most money spent, at $5.07bn, and took in $277.8m in revenue, an increase of 6.76% year-on-year.
Table, counter and card games, including sportsbooks, took in $369.1m in revenue, up 4.3% from September 2018, as casinos handled $2.41bn on the games.
Baccarat remained the largest source of revenue, bringing in $108.5m, a 54% increase from 2018, on $557.1m of bets. Twenty one, however, was the most popular game in terms of handle, with players spending $622m and casinos winning $82.6m, a 10.3% year-on-year decline.
Craps took in $37.8m of revenue on $212.6m wagered, while roulette took in $28.2m as players wagered $153m. Three-card poker continued to be the most profitable game in the state, bringing in $10.1m on $32.4m of bets.
In total, players spent $11.96bn at Nevada casinos, as the state took in $1.06bn in revenue, up 6.8% from September 2018.
Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, took in $913.6m in revenue, up 8.3% from 2018. The Las Vegas strip area took in $584.2m in revenue.