SuperBook Sports Shuts Down Sports Betting Operations in 8 States
SuperBook Sports, one of the best sports betting sites in Nevada and elsewhere, announced last Friday in a post on X that it would no longer be accepting wagers in eight US states effective immediately.
The post outlined that SuperBook would cease operations in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia.
It will continue to operate in the Nevada sports betting market, where its retail sportsbook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino remains among the best sportsbooks for U.S. bettors.
The company has assured customers they can withdraw funds from their account balance and contact support@superbook.com with any inquiries.
Why is SuperBook leaving?
SuperBook did not specify the reasons for ending its operations in the eight states, but recent financial data provides some insight.
In June 2024, the company saw its best performance in the New Jersey sports betting market, where it accounted for 0.3% of the state’s revenue share. In the Virginia sports betting scene, it collected 0.01% of the market's handle.
SuperBook is not alone in this struggle. Several of the nation's best sports betting apps have closed this year, including Unibet, SaharaBets, and Prophet Exchange, all of which faced similar difficulties in capturing market share outside of Nevada.
Adding to the wave of exits, Betfred also announced on Friday that it would be leaving Ohio effective August 31. The company emailed Ohio bettors informing them that the last day to initiate a manual withdrawal would be August 31, while deposits would be accepted until July 31 and wagers until August 14.
Betfred accounted for just 0.08% of the Ohio sports betting online handle in May and 0.0003% of taxable revenue. Betfred remains active in eight other states.
SuperContests and the Wire Act
One significant challenge for SuperBook in the U.S. has been the Interstate Wire Act of 1961, which prohibits interstate sports betting. The company had plans to expand its NFL SuperContests to Colorado sports betting and received approval from the Colorado Division of Gaming. However, the federal law made that impossible.
This year’s SuperContest is set to begin on Sept. 4, the day before the NFL season kickoff, and conclude on the final day of the regular season on Jan. 5, 2024. Contestants can have up to seven entries, and the entry fee is $1,000.
Non-Nevada residents can also join in on the contest, placing weekly selections through a local proxy. However, all registrations must take place in person at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
The SuperContest has been attracting more participants each year due to social media, which has made it known to people outside of Nevada that they can also participate in the contest. In 2015, there were 1,727 entries and over 50 percent of these used proxy services to enter.
New Arizona license up for grabs
In states that cap the number of sports betting licenses allowed, the closure of SuperBook will free up sports betting licenses.
This includes a tribal license in the Arizona sports betting market, which became open following Unibet's exit earlier this year. However, the Arizona Department of Gaming closed its current application window on Friday - the day that SuperBook shuttered operations in the state.
More about SuperBook
Established in 1986 and based in Las Vegas, SuperBook Sports has built a reputation for its NFL SuperContests and its massive retail sportsbook in Nevada.
In February 2016, the 35,000-square-foot SuperBook Westgate in Las Vegas underwent a $13 million renovation, including the world’s largest video wall, which is 240 feet by 20 feet. SuperBook then launched in Colorado in October 2020 with its mobile app, followed by New Jersey and Arizona in 2021 and Tennessee in 2022.
