Research · Positive-EV betting
Sportsbook hold percentage: what Massachusetts' 2026 reports show
Sportsbook hold is the share of wagers a sportsbook keeps. DraftKings and FanDuel held 10.8% and 11.6% in Massachusetts in January–September 2026.
Reviewed by Owen DavidsUpdated Oct 30, 2026Facts checked Oct 30, 2026
On this page
Sportsbook hold percentage is the share of money wagered that a sportsbook keeps as revenue. In Massachusetts' monthly reports for January to September 2026, DraftKings held 10.77% of settled handle and FanDuel 11.60%. That's more than double the 4.55% margin built into a standard -110/-110 betting line.
How sportsbook hold percentage is calculated
Hold = monthly win ÷ monthly handle. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission's operator reports list, for each month, the ticket write, the handle on tickets settled, the monthly win on an accrual basis, the hold percentage, the 0.25% federal excise tax and the taxable revenue after that tax.[1] Online (Category 3) operators are taxed on 20% of gross sports wagering revenue.[3]
A single market's built-in margin is different. At -110 on both sides, the implied probabilities add up to 104.8%, and the sportsbook's theoretical hold on balanced action is 4.55%. Work out any market's figure with the no-vig calculator.
What the 2026 reports show
Handle and win in millions of dollars, as reported:[1][2]
| Month (2026) | DraftKings handle | DraftKings win | DraftKings hold | FanDuel handle | FanDuel win | FanDuel hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 418.3 | 45.8 | 10.96% | 199.7 | 23.7 | 11.86% |
| February | 314.7 | 43.3 | 13.75% | 146.8 | 19.7 | 13.42% |
| March | 344.5 | 33.5 | 9.71% | 173.0 | 19.0 | 11.01% |
| April | 335.1 | 44.0 | 13.12% | 167.7 | 22.5 | 13.40% |
| May | 306.5 | 35.1 | 11.46% | 158.7 | 20.7 | 13.08% |
| June | 302.0 | 27.4 | 9.07% | 154.6 | 15.0 | 9.72% |
| July | 281.2 | 33.0 | 11.74% | 150.6 | 17.2 | 11.40% |
| August | 275.1 | 23.5 | 8.53% | 144.5 | 13.2 | 9.15% |
| September | 389.4 | 34.1 | 8.75% | 199.2 | 22.3 | 11.21% |
| Jan–Sep | 2,966.8 | 319.5 | 10.77% | 1,494.7 | 173.4 | 11.60% |
The January–September totals are our sums of the monthly figures. FanDuel's report labels the row between June 2026 and August 2026 as "July 2027"; we've treated it as July 2026.[2]
Why actual hold is higher than a single line's margin
The reports don't break hold down by sport, market or bet type, so they can't explain the gap. Possible contributors, none of which this data can measure:
- Bet mix. Multi-leg bets compound the margin of each leg; four legs at -110 carry about a 17% expected cost on fair 50/50 outcomes. See the parlay calculator.
- Prices. Markets priced with more margin than -110/-110, and bets placed at worse than the best available price, both raise hold.
- Results. Monthly hold swings with outcomes: DraftKings' ranged from 8.53% to 13.75% over these nine months.
Method
We downloaded each operator's September 2026 report from the Commission's revenue page on October 30, 2026, extracted the monthly rows for January–September 2026 and summed handle and win. Hold for each month is as printed in the reports. We analysed these two operators only, so the figures are not a statewide hold; the other licensees' reports are on the same page. For how margins are built into odds, see Implied probability and no-vig odds, explained.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sportsbook's hold percentage?
The share of the money wagered that the sportsbook keeps as revenue: win divided by handle. In Massachusetts' reports it's monthly win (accrual basis) divided by monthly handle on settled tickets.
Is hold the same as vig?
No. Vig is the margin built into a price, about 4.5% on a -110/-110 market. Hold is what the sportsbook actually keeps across all bets and results, which also depends on the bet mix and on luck.
Why does hold change so much month to month?
Because results vary: when favourites or popular sides win, sportsbooks keep less. DraftKings' monthly hold in Massachusetts ranged from 8.53% to 13.75% between January and September 2026.
Does a high hold mean a sportsbook has worse odds?
Not necessarily. These reports don't break hold down by market or bet type, so they can't separate pricing from the bet mix and from results.
Sources
- 1.DraftKings Cat. 3 Sports Wagering Revenue Report, September 2026 (monthly history from March 2023), Massachusetts Gaming CommissionRegulatory publication · accessed Oct 30, 2026
- 2.FanDuel Cat. 3 Sports Wagering Revenue Report, September 2026 (monthly history from March 2023), Massachusetts Gaming CommissionRegulatory publication · accessed Oct 30, 2026
- 3.Revenue (sports wagering revenue reports and tax rates, updated 10.20.2026), Massachusetts Gaming CommissionRegulatory publication · accessed Oct 30, 2026
About this page
- Editorial review
- Approved by Owen Davids on Oct 30, 2026
- AI assistance
- Drafted with AI assistance. Facts, sources and conclusions were checked by a human editor before publication.
- Facts last checked
- Oct 30, 2026
How we research and label evidence: our methodology.
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