DraftKings Oregon: May 2026 Handle Down 3.7% Despite Strong 12.6% Hold

The Headline Numbers

Oregon bettors wagered $77.6 million on DraftKings in May 2026, generating $9.8 million in winnings for the sportsbook. The handle was down 3.7% from May 2025 and the win figure fell 5.1% YoY. Both declines came despite the sportsbook holding a healthy 12.6% — a margin that would, in most months, indicate a strong revenue result.

What Drove the Decline

The simple explanation: fewer dollars wagered overall, particularly outside of single-game markets. While the headline handle declined, single-game wagering actually rose:

• Single-game handle: $51.1M, +6.5% YoY
• Single-game win: $3.3M, +1.5% YoY

That implies the YoY decline was concentrated in parlays, futures, and live betting — exactly the higher-margin segments that drive sportsbook profitability. Investors and analysts will look for whether this is a one-month anomaly or a trend.

The Table Tennis Story

One of the more striking data points from the May report: table tennis betting surged 24.9% and accounted for 14% of all wagers placed during the month. Table tennis has historically been a "fill" sport that gains share during major-league off-seasons (between NHL/NBA playoffs and the start of NFL preseason), so May's volume reflects the sport's growing position in DraftKings' Oregon mix.

Soccer Bettors Took It On the Chin

Bettors fared particularly poorly on soccer in May. DraftKings' soccer hold reached 20.9% on $5.9 million in handle — well above the typical industry average of ~7–9%. A 20%+ hold means the sportsbook kept more than $1 of every $5 wagered on soccer, which is unusually punishing for bettors.

This likely reflects a combination of (a) favored teams covering at high rates and (b) bettors leaning into longshot accumulators that didn't cash. Oregon soccer betting volume includes Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns markets, plus international leagues.

What the Hold Rate Means

A 12.6% sportsbook hold is well above the long-term industry average of ~7–8% for DraftKings nationally. Two things this typically reflects:

• Bettor luck swung in DraftKings' favor in May — favorites covering at higher-than-implied rates, or key parlay legs missing
• Parlay-heavy product mix — Oregon bettors leaned into compounding-vig wagers where the sportsbook structurally wins more

For Oregon bettors thinking about strategy: high-hold months are when public-side betting underperforms most. Sharp single-game and value-leaning strategies usually do better.

The Bigger Picture

Oregon's sports betting market remains structurally unique: a single-operator state monopoly with no rival operators to drive promotional spending. The ~3.7% YoY handle decline doesn't reflect a competitive failure — it reflects a maturing market with a fixed operator. DraftKings Oregon's revenue per user remains among the highest in the country, but growth depends on consumer engagement rather than market share battles.

Worth watching: NFL preseason (August) and the NFL regular season (September onward) will tell whether May's softer numbers were summer doldrums or a real trend.

Source

Data per David McKee, COMPLETE iGAMING — Oregon Lottery May 2026 sports betting report.