January delivered two very different gambling stories: Nebraska’s casino floors cashed in as new permanent venues helped push revenue sharply higher, while Massachusetts sportsbooks handled more bets but ended up with less taxable revenue, a reminder that growth doesn’t always show up the same way across gaming verticals.
Nebraska gets a January lift from bigger, permanent casino floors
Nebraska casinos generated $25.9 million in revenue in January, up 46.5% year-over-year, with the jump helped by two casinos moving into permanent locations. Slots did the bulk of the work at $21.6 million statewide (up 50%), while table games rose 38% to $2.5 million. Electronic table games climbed 27.2% to $750,243, and retail sports betting added just over $1 million, up 19.2%.
Grand Island Casino logged the steepest rise, up 68.7% to $4.9 million after opening its new casino in April. Slot revenue there climbed 75.2%, table games increased 42.8%, and sports betting revenue spiked 237.6% to $146,656, even as electronic table games dipped 52.6% to $58,090.
WarHorse Casino Omaha, newly operating from its permanent location, led the state in total revenue with $9.7 million in January, up 54.8%. WarHorse Casino Lincoln grew 22.7% to $8.2 million despite declines in electronic table games and sports betting revenue. Harrah’s Columbus Casino also moved higher, up 15.6% to $2.2 million, with sports betting revenue rising 270.5% to $101,751 and electronic table games up 97.7% to $101,584. Lake Mac Casino, which opened in August 2024, generated $998,607 from slots, electronic table games, and sports betting.
Massachusetts bettors spent more, but sportsbooks kept less
Massachusetts taxable sports betting revenue totaled $82.4 million in January, down 12.7% from $94.4 million a year earlier and 16.4% below December’s $98.5 million. Online betting drove almost all of it, contributing $82.1 million in taxable revenue, while retail added $302,716. Gross revenue before deductions came in at $84.4 million.
Handle went the opposite direction. Players wagered $808.9 million statewide, up 6.1% year-over-year, with $797.1 million bet online and $11.8 million wagered at retail sportsbooks. The statewide hold for January was 10.19% based on taxable revenue.
DraftKings stayed firmly on top with $44.8 million in revenue from $418.3 million in bets (10.71% hold). FanDuel followed at $23.2 million from $199.7 million (11.62% hold). Fanatics ranked third with $5.7 million from $62.5 million (9.12%), BetMGM posted $4.5 million from $57.1 million (7.88%), and theScore Bet recorded $1.8 million from $22.7 million (7.93%). On the retail side, Encore Boston Harbor led with $209,263 in taxable revenue from $5.9 million in bets (3.57% hold).
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission also reported $96.6 million in casino gross gaming revenue for January, down 1.3% year-over-year, with $69.8 million from slots and $26.8 million from table games. Encore Boston Harbor topped the casino pack with $59.7 million. Total January gaming tax in the state reached $44 million, split between $16.5 million from sports betting and $27.6 million from land-based casinos.
Conclusion
Put side by side, Nebraska’s numbers look like a market still building momentum as bigger, permanent casinos bring more play under one roof, while Massachusetts shows how sports betting can grow in popularity without guaranteeing a matching revenue bump for operators. For everyday players, that usually translates into more game choice and fresh experiences in Nebraska, and a Massachusetts promo climate that can swing quickly depending on whether sportsbooks feel January’s results were a win or a warning.
