New York sportsbooks accepted approximately $595 million in wagers during the first week of the 2026 NFL season, setting a new state record for Week 1. The total for Week 1 was nearly 13% higher than last year’s opening week. It ranked as the sixth-largest weekly handle since mobile sports betting launched in New York in January 2022.
The start of football season typically brings a huge jump in wagering activity, but the first week of the 2026 NFL season took that to another level. New York State Gaming Commission weekly sports wagering data shows how betting activity surged as the NFL season kicked off.
However, it’s worth noting that sportsbooks had a much tougher time turning this into revenue. Operators kept about $17 million from this record handle, down 44% from last season’s opening week. That works out to a hold of only 2.9%, meaning operators retained less than three cents for every dollar wagered.
Favorable results for sports bettors help explain why sportsbooks kept such a small percentage of the record handle. Eight favorites covered the spread during Week 1, while nine of the 13 games went Over their closing totals. Popular anytime touchdown scorer bets also hit at a high rate.
Recreational bettors mostly take favorites on point spreads and overs on totals, so this makes a lot of sense.
The results are another reminder that a massive handle does not necessarily mean sportsbooks will have a profitable week, especially if there are several public picks that end up hitting.
FanDuel and DraftKings continued to account for most of New York’s online sports betting activity during the opening week.
FanDuel accepted approximately $224.5 million in wagers and generated $8.3 million in revenue. DraftKings followed with about $216.7 million in handle and $4.7 million in revenue.
Fanatics also handled more than $60 million in bets but finished the week with a hold of only 1.1%.
These numbers help explain why the start of the NFL season is the most popular time of year on the sports betting calendar.
The opening-week record comes at a time when New York officials are paying closer attention to the responsible gaming challenges that have come with the growth of legal sports betting.
Mobile betting generated $1.3 billion in state tax revenue during State Fiscal Year 2026, while more than $91.2 billion was wagered from the January 2022 launch through the end of that fiscal year, based on the New York State Comptroller’s sports wagering report.
As problem gambling calls have risen alongside New York sports betting revenue, the state has faced more questions about how to balance a growing market with stronger player protections.
For example, New York’s HOPEline received 2,545 problem gambling calls in 2025, an 8.5% increase from 2020. The state has already doubled annual funding for problem gambling services from $6 million to $12 million.
With nearly $600 million wagered during just the first week of the NFL season, it’s clear that increased focus on responsible gaming remains a priority in the Empire State.
