Kalshi alone handled nearly $15 billion in sports betting volume in May 2026, a month in which state-regulated sportsbook revenue fell 1.8% to $1.34 billion, per American Gaming Association tracking. This post compiles verified sports betting statistics for 2026: global market size, US revenue, operator share, betting formats, and the prediction market fight, each figure sourced from research firms, regulators, or industry trackers.
Sports Betting Industry Statistics 2026
How Big Is the Sports Betting Industry in 2026?
Two research firms publish comparable 2026 estimates, and they land within $2 billion of each other. Precedence Research values the global market at $124.88 billion in 2026, up from $112.26 billion in 2025.
Fortune Business Insights puts 2026 at $126.51 billion, from a $113.79 billion 2025 base. Each firm measures worldwide operator revenue under its own scope definition, so the figures sit side by side below rather than blended into one number.
| Research Firm | 2025 Value | 2026 Value | Long-Term Forecast | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precedence Research | $112.26 billion | $124.88 billion | $325.71 billion by 2035 | 11.24% (2026–2035) |
| Fortune Business Insights | $113.79 billion | $126.51 billion | $295.29 billion by 2034 | 11.18% (2026–2034) |
Source: Precedence Research, report updated January 2026; Fortune Business Insights, 2026 edition
Precedence Research also expects North America to grow fastest at an 11.5% CAGR from 2026 to 2035, while Europe held the largest regional share at nearly 44% of global revenue in 2025. Where the market heads under continued legalization is a question Quantumrun examines in its analysis of the future of the worldwide gambling industry.
US Sports Betting Revenue Statistics: 2024 vs 2025
The American Gaming Association reported $16.96 billion in commercial sportsbook revenue for 2025, a 22.8% increase, on a handle of $166.94 billion, up 11.0%. All 38 commercial gaming markets posted annual revenue gains.
Revenue grew at roughly twice the pace of betting volume. State-regulated sportsbooks paid $3.71 billion in taxes, up 32.4% year over year, and sports betting sat inside a record $78.72 billion total US commercial gaming year.
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial sportsbook revenue | $13.78 billion | $16.96 billion | +22.8% |
| Total handle (amount wagered) | $149.90 billion | $166.94 billion | +11.0% |
Source: American Gaming Association, full-year 2025 release (February 2026) and State of the States 2025
The AGA’s earlier reports fill in the trend: revenue was $11.04 billion on a $121.06 billion handle in 2023, and national hold rose from 9.1% in 2023 to 9.3% in 2024, per AGA data reported by ESPN. Parlays and same-game parlays carry higher margins, which is where the widening gap between revenue growth and handle growth comes from.
Which States Lead US Sports Betting?
New York, Illinois, and New Jersey remained the three largest state markets in 2025, according to AGA data. Missouri, which launched on December 1, 2025, was the only new market of the year.
Sportsbook Market Share Statistics In 2026
DraftKings reclaimed the handle lead from FanDuel in May 2025 and has held it since, per Casino Reports tracking of state regulator data. As of March 2026, the duopoly controls 67.8% of regulated wagering dollars, down from historical highs near 75%.
| Operator | Share of US Regulated Handle, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| DraftKings | 35.8% |
| FanDuel | 32.0% |
| BetMGM | 9.8% |
| Fanatics | 7.3% |
| Caesars | 5.3% |
| theScore Bet | 1.2% |
Source: Casino Reports, US sports betting market data, as of March 2026
Revenue tells a different story. FanDuel leads gross gaming revenue at 37.1% to DraftKings’ 35.8% as of March 2026 because it runs a higher hold, which Casino Reports attributes largely to its parlay mix.
PENN Entertainment shut down ESPN Bet in November 2025 and relaunched it as theScore Bet on December 1, coinciding with Missouri’s market opening. The rebranded book holds just 1.2% of handle.
Sports Betting Formats And Segments In 2026
How people bet has shifted faster than how much they bet. Precedence Research reports the online segment took nearly 75% of global sports betting revenue in 2025 and projects it as the fastest-growing platform at a 10.3% CAGR from 2026 to 2035.
| Dimension | Largest Segment | Share of 2025 Global Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Online | ~75% |
| Region | Europe | ~44% |
| Sport | Football | ~35% |
| Betting type | Fixed odds betting | ~28% |
Source: Precedence Research, sports betting report updated January 2026, 2025 base year
Among betting types, daily fantasy is projected to expand fastest at a 10.4% CAGR through 2035. Among sports, e-sports is projected to grow at a 10.2% CAGR over the same period, a shift Quantumrun connects to broader patterns in its piece on where gaming is heading next.
The product side of that online shift, including gamification and crypto payments, gets a closer look in Quantumrun’s coverage of tech trends reshaping real-money online gambling. Its guide to navigating online gaming safely covers the consumer-protection angle.
Prediction Markets vs The Sports Betting Industry
The defining fight of 2026 involves federally regulated prediction markets such as Kalshi, whose sports event contracts function like bets but sit outside state gaming law. The AGA’s May 2026 tracker reports Kalshi alone handled nearly $15 billion in sports betting volume that month.
| Prediction Market Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Kalshi sports contract volume, May 2026 alone | ~$15 billion |
| Estimated state gaming taxes diverted since start of 2025 | Over $1 billion |
| State-regulated sports betting revenue, May 2026 | $1.34 billion (down 1.8% YoY) |
| State-regulated handle, May 2026 | $12.06 billion (down 0.4% YoY) |
Source: American Gaming Association, Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker, May 2026 report
The New York Attorney General’s office, citing Kalshi’s own reporting, states that users bet over $1 billion every month on the platform in 2025, with 90% of that spent on sports. New York sued Kalshi on July 31, 2026, and 44 state attorneys general sent a letter to the CFTC in July 2026 arguing sports event contracts belong under state law.
Kalshi maintains it falls under federal CFTC jurisdiction, not state gaming regulation. How the courts resolve this will shape the next decade of the sports betting industry; Quantumrun tracks adjacent developments in its sports industry trends research list.
What Is Slowing Sports Betting Growth In 2026?
2025 was the first year since the 2018 PASPA repeal in which no state enacted legislation authorizing sports betting, per Legal Sports Report. The era of growth through new state launches has largely ended.
Commercial sports betting handle fell roughly 2% in Q1 2026, the first quarterly decline on record, according to data compiled by Legal Sports Report analyst Eric Ramsey. FanDuel’s handle fell 9% year over year in that quarter while monthly active players declined 6% and its betting revenue rose just 1%.
Flutter executives attributed part of the slowdown to lower NFL and NBA betting engagement alongside what they described as suboptimal promotional reinvestment. Growth now comes from extracting higher margins out of existing bettors rather than from new markets, while prediction markets pull volume from outside state guardrails entirely.
FAQs
How big is the sports betting industry in 2026?
The global sports betting market is worth $124.88 billion to $126.51 billion in 2026, per Precedence Research and Fortune Business Insights. Precedence projects growth to $325.71 billion by 2035 at an 11.24% CAGR.
How much revenue did US sportsbooks generate in 2025?
US commercial sportsbooks generated a record $16.96 billion in 2025 revenue, up 22.8%, on a handle of $166.94 billion, per the American Gaming Association. Operators paid $3.71 billion in state taxes.
Which sportsbook has the largest US market share?
DraftKings leads regulated handle at 35.8% as of March 2026, ahead of FanDuel at 32.0%, per Casino Reports. FanDuel still leads gross gaming revenue at 37.1% because it runs a higher hold.
Why do Reddit threads cite different sports betting market sizes?
Research firms define market scope differently, so Reddit posts quoting different reports can all be technically accurate. The 2026 estimates from Precedence Research and Fortune Business Insights cluster between $124.88 billion and $126.51 billion.
Is the shift to prediction markets that Reddit bettors describe real?
Yes. AGA data shows Kalshi alone handled nearly $15 billion in sports volume in May 2026, a month when state-regulated sportsbook revenue fell 1.8% to $1.34 billion and handle slipped 0.4%.
Sources
https://www.americangaming.org/commercial-gaming-revenue-hits-78-7-billion-in-2025-driving-record-18-1-billion-in-gaming-taxes-nationwide/
https://www.americangaming.org/resources/commercial-gaming-revenue-tracker/
https://www.precedenceresearch.com/sports-betting-market
https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/sports-betting-market-116521
With many years of professional experience within transnational corporations in different industries, Richard Jaimes has had the opportunity to lead people and organizations, investigate future topics, create strategies and innovations, consult senior management and translate insights into business advantages. Richard is also a long time senior consultant with Quantumrun Foresight.
