Bettors pushed serious money through legal sportsbooks last month, capping off a fiscal year that saw the industry grow at a pace few expected this far removed from legalization. Maryland sports betting has become one of the fastest-growing markets on the East Coast, and June's report only added to that reputation. New figures released by state regulators show June was one of the strongest single months on record.
June Handle Sets The Tone
The headline number from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency's June report is stark. Bettors wagered $523.3 million in total handle during the month, and that figure for Maryland sports betting marked a jump of nearly 30 percent compared to June a year ago. That handle produced $468.8 million in prizes paid back to bettors, leaving operators with a hold of 10.4 percent. From that hold, the state collected $7.6 million in tax contributions, split between the Blueprint for Maryland's Future education fund and the state's General Fund. The month also served as the final tally for Fiscal Year 2026, which ran from July 2025 through June 2026 and generated a combined $6.91 billion in wagers statewide, an 11.1 percent increase over the prior fiscal year.
Mobile Betting And Soccer Carried The Month
Almost every dollar wagered in June came through a phone or computer rather than a retail counter. Mobile betting accounted for $515.4 million of the handle, compared to just under $8 million wagered at retail locations. That imbalance is nothing new for Maryland, but June's numbers were also shaped by an unusual driver: international soccer. The month coincided with a surge in World Cup betting activity, which pushed handle figures well above typical early summer totals, a period that normally lags behind football season. Industry analysts pointed to an all-time high in soccer wagering as a major factor behind the 30 percent year-over-year increase, showing how a single global event can reshape a state's monthly numbers even outside the traditional American sports calendar.
How June 2026 Stacks Up Against June 2025
The contrast with June 2025 tells its own story. Last June, Maryland saw a smaller handle of $403.8 million, but operators held onto 14.1 percent of that total, compared to just 10.4 percent this year. That difference in hold percentage explains why tax revenue actually dipped slightly year over year, from $9.2 million to $7.6 million, even though the amount wagered grew substantially. In other words, more money moved through the system, but a higher share of it went back to winning bettors rather than into operator or state coffers.
What It Means Going Forward
The June report closes the book on a record fiscal year that already made headlines two weeks ago, when the state confirmed $132.3 million in total contributions for FY2026, a 48.8 percent jump from the year before. June's numbers reinforce that trend line rather than break it, showing that Maryland's appetite for wagering, driven heavily by Maryland sports betting apps rather than in-person locations, shows no signs of slowing as the new fiscal year begins.
