Nevada sportsbooks had a rougher May than the handle alone suggests. Bettors staked $545.7 million during the month, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, down 5.4% from $576.8 million in May 2025. Revenue fell faster, dropping 17.2% to $38.7 million as the statewide hold slipped to 7.1%.
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Local results cut into sportsbook profits during a busy playoff month. The Vegas Golden Knights went 9-2 in May on the way to the Stanley Cup Final, and that run helped push hockey revenue down to just $1.5 million.
That did not erase gains in every sport. Basketball led single-sport revenue with $13 million, up 3.9% from May 2025. Baseball brought in $12.6 million, but that figure came in 41% below last year. Other sports, a category that includes tennis, soccer, MMA, boxing, auto racing, and golf, performed better with $13.7 million in revenue, up 28.6%.
Football remained a drag even outside the main NFL season. Nevada sportsbooks lost $2.2 million on football in May and have now lost more than $17 million on football over the past three months.
Online and retail sportsbooks both felt the slower month, but mobile betting remained the core channel in Nevada sports wagering. Online wagers accounted for 75.1% of the statewide handle, while mobile books produced $34 million in revenue.
The local market also showed uneven results by region. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, posted a 15.8% year-over-year revenue decline. Washoe County, covering Reno and Lake Tahoe operators, fell 32.5%.
For tax revenue, Nevada collected $2.6 million from sports betting in May. Year-to-date tax revenue has now passed $15 million.
The May report shows a market where betting volume, hold, and sport-by-sport results all worked against operators. Nevada still benefits from a large retail base and a high mobile share, but playoff results and softer baseball numbers left sportsbooks with a smaller win than last year.