Sports betting is delivering major cash for states — see what states are cashing in
The sports betting industry continues to grow with 40 states and the District of Columbia legalizing some form of sports betting and 30 states with online sports betting. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Several states have seen huge tax revenues from sports betting, according to a recent analysis.
The backstory:
The sports betting industry continues to grow with 40 states and the District of Columbia legalizing some form of sports betting and 30 states with online sports betting.
In 2021, the Census Bureau began collecting data for state sales tax revenue from sports betting. The data over the last four years shows the national total of state sales tax revenue from sports betting has soared 382%, from $190 million in the third quarter of 2021 to $917 million in the second quarter of 2025.
By the numbers:
States online sports betting tax revenue
Many states have eased restrictions on gambling over the last four years, resulting in huge sports betting sales tax revenues, according to the Tax Foundation.
The tax revenue generated from sports betting helps fund public schools, highways and roads, law enforcement and gambling addiction treatment programs.
Winter time generates the most sports betting tax revenue
The wintertime generates the most revenue from sports betting due to popular sporting events taking place. The last months of the year include popular sporting events including the Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs, the start of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL) seasons and the crunch time of the National Football League (NFL) season as teams vie for the playoffs.
The Source: Information for this article was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tax Foundation. This story was reported from Orlando.