The sports betting industry is flourishing worldwide and has millions of fans in the United States. Following the infamous Supreme Court ruling in 2018, the market today looks nothing like it did several years ago. NJ and Nevada used to dominate the betting landscape, but things have changed.
Speaking of dominating, we at Nostrabet.com are about to show you the top 5 sports betting markets in the USA in 2025. A dozen states offer legal wagering, so the ranking of the biggest markets has shifted. Some of the powerhouses continue to impress, but new entrants have changed the landscape.
Breaking down the top 5 sports betting markets in the U.S. will help us see what sets them apart. We’ll also reveal the number 1, which may not necessarily be what you’d expected, so let’s begin.
The Sports Betting Landscape in the US
Everyone familiar with sports betting in the USA knows that the industry can be divided into two – pre-2018 and post-2018. After the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, states had the freedom to decide what to do with wagering. Fast-forward to today, and more than 35 states have launched legal sports betting services. Many of them even focus on mobile betting because it is more convenient.
While retail sports betting continues to be important for some states, online betting clearly dominates. In fact, players who embrace it perform much better than others and generate millions. If we compare them to Montana, for example, where online betting is still not allowed, we can see a massive difference in revenue.
It’s also worth mentioning that each state has a different tax structure. Places like New York have a 51% tax on operator revenue, whereas others have much lower rates. The higher taxes allow the states to generate a lot more money and use it for various things.
Now that you have an idea of how everything looks, let’s dive into each of the top 5 sports betting markets in the USA in 2025.
The Top 5 Sports Betting Markets in the USA
After revealing some of the key information about sports betting in the USA, it’s time to focus on the particular markets. Each name you are about to see has become a household name regarding revenue. Things may change once all states start offering sports betting services, but for now, these are on another level.
New York
There is no arguing that New York is the leading state when it comes to the biggest sports betting markets in the USA in 2025.
- Since mobile betting became popular, the Empire State has generated billions of dollars. The monthly handles now often reach over $2B, which is a really impressive number when compared to others.
- As for the end-of-2024 stats, New York earned sports betting revenue of $2.06B, 21.6% more than in 2023.
- Mobile betting definitely contributes to why New York is leading in the USA, but it is not the only reason. The state also has the highest operator tax in the country (51%), allowing it to generate a lot of money.
Some people thought that the extremely high taxes would negatively impact everything, but that’s not the case. New York City has a gigantic population and is one of the wealthiest cities on Earth. As a result, many new sportsbooks pour resources into the state despite its high taxes.
Illinois
The second name on the top sports betting markets in the USA list is also from the same region.
- Illinois is slowly becoming a powerhouse in this industry because it has generated billions. 2024 was a great year for the state because it got more than $1.23B in revenue. Most of you may not be surprised, considering Chicago is in this part of the country.
- If we examine some of the stats from the Illinois Gaming Board, we will see that the state has had excellent months. In June 2025, for example, sportsbooks there produced around $113.9M.
Illinois offers an interesting combination of a strong online market and various in-person sports betting sites. The state also has much lower tax rates than New York (40%), for example, but due to its volume, it is among the biggest in the country. Considering how things are going, we wouldn’t be surprised if it keeps its position in the future.
New Jersey
The third place on the list is probably not that surprising because New Jersey has been one of the leading gambling/betting markets for years. Although it may have lost to its neighbour, NJ remains one of the country’s most important states for sports betting.
- Since 2018, NJ has become one of the leaders in sports betting and has generated billions. 2024 was very successful because the state got $1.09B in revenue.
- If we dive deep into New Jersey’s monthly performance, we can see that New Jersey has had really impressive months. April 2025, for example, resulted in around $994M in wagers and close to $90.5M in revenue. Even some of the “weaker” months, such as July, ended up with around $74.8M in GGR.
New Jersey offers a competitive environment for bookmakers because local players can find all kinds of options. The fact that there are so many companies is good for punters because operators do what they can to provide better services. Overall, NJ remains a solid sports betting market with a loyal customer base.
Ohio
Ohio is most likely not among the first names that come to mind when talking about betting. Since it launched sports betting in 2023, it has become among the top 5 in the USA. This was the year were fans had access to both retail and online betting.
- Places like Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati have a lot of people, and many of them are keen on betting on sports.
- Ohio is also successful in this department because it started out with just a 10% tax. Even though it is 20% now, the state continues to have among the lowest taxes in the country.
- The statistics show that Ohio received a total of $905M in sports wagers in 2024. Even though this is a 3.9% decrease from before, the state continues to dominate. An interesting fact is that almost 98% of its sports betting revenue is from mobile betting.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is the last state we’d like to include on the list. The stats for 2024 show that it has generated $778,4B, which is a 13.3% increase from last year. For comparison, the state’s commercial casinos reported land-based revenue of over $3.38B. Some probably expected the numbers to be even higher because this was among the early adopters of the PASPA repeal, but these are the stats for now.
- An interesting fact about Pennsylvania is that it has a 36% tax rate on sports betting revenue. Despite the relatively high tax rate, the state continues to attract all kinds of online operators. Moreover, it also has many different retail locations.
- Based on the stats from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, there is steady growth in the retail and online segments. Yes, the state has a smaller market than the likes of NY and NJ, but it is still one of the highest in the country.
Other States to Keep an Eye on in The Future
Some of you may be surprised by the absence of some of the biggest states in the USA, such as Florida, California or Texas. Even though they are among the largest in population, they are absent from the list because of their stalled legislation. Sports betting is not “flourishing” in either of those places, but we may see changes if that happens.
In addition to these three, several other U.S. states could soon make the cut. Missouri, where sports betting finally became legal at the end of 2024, is a good example. We will have to wait and see what happens, but it is one of the more promising states.
Georgia and Oklahoma are two other places where sports betting could potentially provide good numbers. The two states have yet to legalize sports betting but when it happens, we are confident they will become among the leaders.
Closing Thoughts
It’s safe to say that sports betting in the U.S. looks nothing like it did several years ago. Despite its sky-high tax rate, New York is leading in terms of revenue. NJ, Illinois, Nevada, and Pennsylvania remain some of the industry’s pillars, but we are not sure if they will keep their positions in the future.
Places like California and Texas continue to be on the sidelines, but if they join, the situation will change drastically. We don’t know if or when it will happen, but we expect the next wave of legalisation soon. Make sure to follow us for more detailed information.
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