Sportsbooks in New York generated $244.1 million in gross gaming revenue during April, marking a 26.7% year-over-year increase, based on data published by the New York State Gaming Commission. That revenue growth came even though betting volume barely moved from last year’s levels. The state’s eight online operators accepted $2.17 billion in wagers for the month, compared to $2.15 billion in April 2025. A stronger win rate helped fuel the revenue spike, with hold rising to 11.3% from 8.9% a year ago.
Sportsbooks benefited from a packed April sports calendar, especially with the NBA and NHL playoffs, along with the start of MLB season.
The volatility of the NBA and NHL playoffs likely played a major role in boosting operator hold. The NHL playoffs have been filled with overtime games, which means those popular puck line bets on favorites to win by 2+ goals have kept missing. The NBA postseason also delivered several surprising results, including the Boston Celtics losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, putting bettors backing popular sides in a difficult spot.
Baseball’s return also tends to favor sportsbooks early in the season. Recreational bettors often gravitate toward player prop markets, especially home run bets, which typically carry inflated odds and higher margins for operators. With daily MLB slates creating a constant flow of betting opportunities, sportsbooks are able to capitalize on home run props, which can be less profitable for bettors in the long run.
FanDuel turned in the strongest performance among New York’s mobile sportsbooks in April, generating more than $101 million in gross gaming revenue from $811.1 million in accepted wagers. The operator converted bettors at a 12.5% clip, marking one of its highest hold percentages of the year and its second time surpassing the $100 million revenue mark in 2026.
DraftKings also posted a strong month, producing $80.7 million in revenue on $771.6 million in betting volume. Its hold rate finished at 10.5%, keeping the operator close behind FanDuel despite handling slightly less action. Fanatics continued to gain traction in the state as well, converting $262 million in wagers into $23.5 million in revenue for roughly a 9% hold.
Further down the market, BetMGM recorded its best New York results to date. The sportsbook kept $15.8 million from $157.5 million wagered during the month. As we can see here, New York sportsbooks thrived across the board in April.
June could provide another strong month for New York sportsbooks as casual bettors shift their attention to international soccer during the World Cup. Interest is expected to be especially high in the United States with the tournament being hosted across North America, giving sportsbooks access to a wave of new and inexperienced soccer bettors.
Unlike football or basketball wagering, soccer betting comes with a steeper learning curve for many American users. Markets such as three-way moneylines, draw betting, totals, both-teams-to-score props, and live wagering strategies are unfamiliar to a large portion of recreational bettors.
That inexperience can work in sportsbooks’ favor. Casual bettors often gravitate toward long-shot parlays, goal scorer props, and heavily favored national teams without fully understanding pricing or implied probability. International tournaments also tend to produce volatile results and lower-scoring matches, which can punish aggressive betting strategies built around favorites and overs.
The World Cup’s condensed schedule and nonstop daily match slate could also drive significant betting volume throughout the month, particularly if the U.S. national team advances deep into the tournament.
Needless to say, it could be another big month for New York sportsbooks.
