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In 2025, Kentucky’s sports betting operators got off to a great start. The handle for January, according to the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation, was $277.1 million, a 12.8% increase from January 2024. For the second year in a row, sportsbooks generated over $30 million in total revenue, indicating a strong start.
The excellent numbers were mostly attributed to NFL postseason success. In January, operators brought in $33.6 million, which was a 6.7% decrease from the third-highest month ever the year before. The month’s adjusted sales was $33 million, which has only been surpassed twice previously.
The 12.1% hold rate, although impressive, was 2.5 points lower than last year’s 14.6%, which was the second-highest since Kentucky sports betting launched in September 2023. Sportsbooks paid $4.6 million in January taxes, contributing to the state’s revenue, which has accumulated over $58 million in the last 17 months.
The NFL’s course adjustment contributed to the strong January result. In December 2024, favorites won a lot of games, but the postseason leveled the playing field. Revenue for January increased by 66.3% over the prior month. January’s hold rate increased by more than four points from December’s 6.9%, even though bets decreased by 5.4%.
Of January’s total handle, $270.1 million came from online sports betting. With a $96.2 million handle, FanDuel topped the field, surpassing DraftKings, which posted a $95 million handle. DraftKings’ remarkable 14% hold helped them finish just ahead of FanDuel with a $13.4 million profit.
bet365 held the third spot with a $26.6 million handle and saw a 142% increase in revenue month-over-month, bringing in $2.4 million. Fanatics Sportsbook climbed from sixth to fourth place, generating $1.6 million in revenue from a $15.2 million handle. Caesars and BetMGM both reported similar profits, despite a $500,000 difference in handle, with Caesars edging out BetMGM.
Crica Sports reported a $200,000 adjusted revenue loss despite recording a $2.9 million handle, while ESPN BET produced $7.5 million in wagers.
After suffering a loss in December 2024, retail sportsbooks recovered, bringing in over $711,000 in gross revenue and $696,000 in adjusted income. With a $2.1 million handle, Churchill Downs led the field of bettors who wagered over $6.1 million in person. Over $1 million in wagers were placed at Red Mile and Turfway Park in January, with Red Mile taking home the largest payout of over $309,000 in adjusted revenue.