Nevada’s regulated sports betting market recorded another monthly slowdown in May, with both wagering volume and operator revenue declining from the same period last year as hockey results weighed heavily on sportsbook performance.
Data released by the Nevada Gaming Control Board showed bettors wagered $545.7 million during the month, down 5.4% from the $576.8 million recorded in May 2025. The latest figures mark the fourth consecutive month in which the state’s sports betting handle has fallen on a year-over-year basis.
Revenue declined at a faster pace than betting activity. Online and retail sportsbooks combined to generate $38.7 million in May, a 17.2% decrease from a year earlier. The statewide hold also slipped to 7.1%, falling by more than one percentage point compared with May 2025.
Mobile Betting Accounts for Most Wagers
Online sportsbooks continued to dominate Nevada’s sports betting market, accounting for 75.1% of all wagers placed during the month.
Mobile betting handle fell 3.1% year over year, while digital sportsbooks generated $34 million in revenue.
Regional results also reflected weaker performance across the state. Clark County, home to Las Vegas, reported a 15.8% decline in sportsbook revenue compared with May 2025. Washoe County, which includes Reno and the Lake Tahoe area, experienced an even steeper drop, with sportsbook profits falling 32.5%.
Despite the softer results for operators, sports wagering continued to contribute tax revenue. Nevada collected $2.6 million in taxes during May, pushing year-to-date collections beyond $15 million.
Basketball and Other Sports Offset Some Losses
Basketball delivered the highest sportsbook revenue among individual sports during the month.
Operators earned $13 million from basketball betting, representing a 3.9% increase compared with the previous May. The strong performance came during the NBA playoffs, one of the busiest periods on the basketball calendar.
The “other” sports category also produced higher returns. Covering sports including tennis, soccer, mixed martial arts, boxing, auto racing and golf, the category generated $13.7 million in revenue, an increase of 28.6% from a year earlier.
Baseball contributed $12.6 million in sportsbook revenue. Although the total remained close to April’s performance, it fell 41% compared with the record level reported in May 2025.
Hockey Results Weigh on Sportsbooks
Hockey produced the sharpest year-over-year decline among major sports.
Sportsbooks reported only $1.5 million in hockey revenue during May, a drop of 69% from the same month last year.
The performance coincided with the Vegas Golden Knights advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. The team posted a 9-2 record during May, with five of those victories coming as underdogs, results that reduced sportsbook profitability.
Football also remained unprofitable for operators despite being out of season. Sportsbooks posted a $2.2 million loss on football betting during May.
That continued a difficult stretch for the sector. Over the past three months, Nevada sportsbooks have lost more than $17 million on football wagers, adding further pressure during a period in which overall betting activity and revenue have both moved lower.
Source:
“Nevada Sportsbooks See Revenue Drop as Handle Continues to Slide”, sports.yahoo.com, Jun 29, 2026
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