What states benefit the Most After PAPSA law?

Everyone knows that the people of the various US states have varying political beliefs. That said, one thing most have agreed upon is the acceptance of online sports betting. After a federal act made it possible to legalize sports betting, many states have been introducing measures and passing laws to let their people bet legally on sports games major and minor. A small handful have also legalized online casinos, but that’s still contentious. Sports betting seems like the easier sell. It comes down to money and Americans’ general love of sports. We’ve been betting on Super Bowls and March Madness for years now, so why wouldn’t the states want a cut? 

What PAPSA Is And How It Ended

The recent surge of online sports betting excitement began when the US decided to stop banning sports betting outside of Las Vegas. There used to be a federal law that prohibited sports betting outside of Las Vegas, and any gambling outside of casinos or horse racing/lottery. Iin 2018, the Supreme Court overturned the PAPSA act that banned all of those things. Individual states can now decide how they want to handle sports betting, with most deciding that they wanted it legalized. In the following years, the majority of US states have passed laws to allow sports betting. The remaining few are likely to legalize it as well, but just have a few hurdles to jump. Utah is the only solid “no.” 

After seeing several states report revenue numbers from online sportsbooks, we can definitely say there are benefits. A lot of benefits. Mostly of the monetary kind. However, some states have clearly benefited more. The money is extra good in these states, or they are creating burgeoning industries where there were none before. Here are the states that benefit the most after the PAPSA law ended and allowed legal sports betting. 

New York

The Empire State is the clear winner in terms of pure financial earnings. Many of the states that legalized sports betting reported revenue in the millions within the first few months. New York crossed a billion in the first month alone. A huge contributor to this is NYC–the city has a massive population but no casinos. NYC has a lot of people that want to gamble and suddenly have a means to bet on sports whenever they want through their phones. 

Arizona

Arizona is known for its beautiful nature parks and weather that’s always perfect for golfing. Now it’s also becoming known as a great sports betting state. Arizona’s sports betting revenue has been surprisingly high, enough to keep up with states that are more associated with gambling. BetMGM Arizona and the other platforms have reported consistently high figures for the state and are planning to invest more. 

Michigan

The people of Michigan are really into their local teams, and it shows. Michigan is another state that posted unexpectedly high sports betting revenue and keeps raking it in. Detroit, specifically, brings in a large number of bettors. Betting platforms have taken notice of Michigan’s eagerness to adopt sports betting and have more plans for the state. 

Maryland

The home of the Chesapeake Bay already lays claim to a bustling seafood industry, great tourism spots, and passionate sports fans. There’s plenty of reason to visit and spend, and the rise of sports betting is another compelling one. The bay has a few nice casinos, so it makes sense that Maryland will see a big turnout for sports betting. 

Pennsylvania

People already love to party in PA, and now they have another reason to. No doubt Philadelphia and its array of rowdy sports bars will be the perfect home for sports betting hype. PA had earned sizable revenue from sports betting, and the peoples’ immense love of their local teams will ensure that it keeps on coming.