Although Nevada did not boast the biggest sports betting handle in 2024, it did live up to its reputation as the nation’s gambling mecca when it was reported that the Silver State had the highest annual per capita sports betting average in the USA.
Viva Las Vegas
Although sports betting is allowed throughout Nevada, Las Vegas is what immediately comes to mind when we think of gambling. And that reputation is well-deserved, particularly after a study by France-based Gamdom Casino that reported Nevadans would spend $1,815 per person on sports betting over the course of one year.
That is tops in the nation and even eclipses the biggest sports betting markets like New York and New Jersey. The top five states in 2024 for annual amount spent on sports betting are as follows:
- Nevada – $1815 per person per annum
- New Jersey – $1,398 per person per annum
- New York – $1,087 per person per annum
- Massachusetts – $1,041 per person per annum
- Arizona – $929 per person per annum
However, if the topic is based on sheer sports betting volume, New York is the undisputed king of that realm while Nevada does not even make the top five with a projected (December’s results are not unknown as of this writing) yearly handle of $5.8 billion in 2024.
The top five states in terms of handle are as follows:
- New York – $21.3 Billion
- New Jersey – $13 Billion
- Illinois – $11 Billion
- Massachusetts – $7.3 Billion
- Arizona – $6.9 Billion
South Dakota is not only the last in annual per capita sports betting of $7.63 but also generated the lowest annual sports betting handle of $7 million.
“Since its inception, sports betting has been a rapidly growing business in the states in which it’s legal,” Felix Romer, founder of Gamdom, said in an emailed statement. “This data demonstrates just that, and it’s certainly interesting to see which among those states are embracing it the most. The figures are generally quite astounding in their scale. The amount of money wagered in the top few states is certainly a shocking statistic when compared to the average American state where sports betting is legal.”
America’s Party 2025
If there is one place to be on New Year’s Eve, it would be in Las Vegas, where the Sphere will welcome 2025 with fireworks, music, and an hourly global countdown that will include all the major cities around the planet. The festivities will begin at 5 a.m. PST on December 31st to mark the New Year in Sydney, Australia. The event is expected to attract 340,000 people.
The theme is billed as America’s Party 2025 and will culminate with a spectacular eight-minute fireworks display at midnight in Las Vegas.
“It is a height. It is a spotlight on Las Vegas as a global city, a spotlight on our fans across the globe. We’re really excited that the Sphere is going to be a part of this and allow us to celebrate New Year’s Eve everywhere this year,” said Steve Hill, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).
Nine hotels, including the MGM Grand, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Venetian, Treasure Island, Fontainebleau, Resorts World, and the Strat, will shoot fireworks at midnight, and the spectacular event will be choreographed to music, including Mariah Carey’s “Old Lange Syne,” followed by ZZ Top’s “Viva Las Vegas” cover version and “House of Memories” by Panic at the Disco.