NY Mobile Sports Betting: $244M GGR in April 2026, $124.5M Sent to Education
New York's nine licensed mobile sportsbooks took $2.17 billion in handle and posted $244.1 million in gross gaming revenue during April 2026, according to the latest report from the New York State Gaming Commission. GGR jumped 26.7% year-over-year despite a nearly flat handle, driven by an 11.28% hold rate - one of the highest single-month holds since mobile betting launched in January 2022.
The Headline Numbers
April 2026 was the opening month of NY's fiscal year 2026/2027 and the state's strongest April on record. Handle came in at $2,165,201,727 - essentially flat versus April 2025's $2,153,262,045 (+0.55%). But GGR rose from $192.7M to $244.1M, a 26.7% increase, because the hold rate spiked from 8.95% to 11.28%.
Why Hold Rate Drove the Story
Hold rate - the percentage of every dollar wagered that the sportsbook keeps - is the most volatile metric in any monthly report. NY's long-run average hold sits around 9.0-9.5%. April 2026's 11.28% reading is well above that baseline and ranks among the top five monthly hold rates since mobile launch in January 2022.
A high hold typically reflects one or more of: heavy public action on favorites that lost, large parlay volume with low strike rates, or scheduled events where bettors over-correlated their picks. The April sports calendar was dense: NBA and NHL Playoffs began mid-month with steep public favorites; the Masters tournament settled futures positions held for months; MLB Opening Day backed Yankees and Mets futures, both of which performed well early and squeezed liability.
Compared to March 2026, handle dropped 7.0% (March includes peak NCAA Tournament action), but GGR rose 12.3% - confirming that April's margin expansion, not volume, drove the record.
April 2026 vs Reference Months
| Month | Handle | GGR | Hold | Tax to Education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | $2,165,201,727 | $244,127,505 | 11.28% | $124,519,031 |
| March 2026 | $2,328,304,032 | $217,285,589 | 9.33% | $110,815,651 |
| April 2025 | $2,153,262,045 | $192,705,547 | 8.95% | $98,272,764 |
Source: New York State Gaming Commission monthly mobile sports wagering report.
Tax Revenue and Education Funding
New York taxes mobile sports betting at 51% of GGR, the highest rate of any US state. After the platform-provider fee and prior-period adjustments, $124,519,031 went to public education in April 2026 alone - up from $98.3M in April 2025.
The fiscal year 2025/2026 (April 2025 - March 2026), which closed before this report, sent $1.33 billion to education from mobile betting alone, with an additional $12 million carved out for problem-gambling education and treatment and $5 million for youth sports grants. April 2026's strong open puts FY 2026/2027 on pace to potentially exceed last fiscal year's record.
Where April 2026 Ranks Historically
By GGR, April 2026 enters the top five months since mobile launch:
| Rank | Month | Handle | GGR | Hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov-25 | $2,606,597,963 | $280,556,234 | 10.76% |
| 2 | Dec-25 | $2,381,848,510 | $259,678,102 | 10.90% |
| 3 | Jan-26 | $2,443,670,306 | $250,629,698 | 10.26% |
| 4 | May-25 | $2,211,676,705 | $248,906,754 | 11.25% |
| 5 | Apr-26 | $2,165,201,727 | $244,127,505 | 11.28% |
November 2025 remains the all-time GGR leader at $280.6M, set during peak NFL season. April 2026 is the highest-GGR April in NY history and the strongest non-football month on record.
What This Means for Bettors
A high hold rate is a reminder of the structural edge that licensed sportsbooks carry. Long-run, the average mobile bettor in New York lost roughly 11.3 cents per dollar wagered in April - significantly above the ~9% historical average. For recreational bettors, that reinforces the value of:
- Line shopping across multiple operators. Half-point differences on NBA and NHL playoff totals translate to several percentage points in long-run ROI. See our 9 NY sportsbooks ranked.
- Avoiding heavy parlays in playoff windows. Parlay hold rates ran above 30% in some operators' books last month.
- Using promo offers thoughtfully. Welcome bonuses and bonus bets remain the only way to mathematically offset the house edge. Compare current NY promo codes.
- Bankroll discipline. Set a deposit limit inside each operator's app before April-style hold spikes erode your bankroll.
What's Next: May 2026 Outlook
May 2026 will capture the bulk of the NBA Conference Finals and NHL Conference Finals, plus the start of the MLB regular season's second month and the Kentucky Derby on May 2. May 2025 posted $2.21B handle and $248.9M GGR (11.25% hold) - a strong comparison anchor. Expect:
- Higher handle than April as NBA/NHL Conference Finals draw deeper public attention
- Hold rate likely to normalize closer to the 9.0-9.5% long-run average
- Soccer futures volume on the 2026 FIFA World Cup ramping into June - see our World Cup 2026 hub
- Resorts World Bet and Bally Bet (the smallest two operators by share) likely to maintain promotional pressure as competitors
The June 2026 report will be the first to capture meaningful World Cup handle, with five group-stage matches at MetLife Stadium in the second half of the month. See our MetLife Stadium schedule for kickoff times.
Methodology & Source
All figures are sourced from the New York State Gaming Commission's monthly mobile sports wagering report (statewide), which is published a few weeks after each calendar month closes. Sports wagering gross gaming revenue is reported on a cash basis: wagers on future events are taxed as current revenue, and payouts for winning wagers are recognized in the period redeemed.
"Net Revenue to Education" is the amount remaining after the platform-provider fee and any prior-period adjustments (typically minor fines and reconciliations). NY mandates that $12M of this annual total is carved out for problem-gambling education and treatment and $5M for youth sports grants; the remainder flows to public education.
Source: Total Mobile Sports Wagering Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) and Taxes - Fiscal Year 2026/2027, New York State Gaming Commission, compiled from data provided by the sportsbooks.