Sports Betting Surge in August 2025: Record Handles, NFL Kickoff, and What It Means for Fantasy Sports

U.S. Sports Betting Handle Hits Record Highs Ahead of NFL Season

After a quiet summer, the sports-betting industry roared back to life in August 2025. States across the U.S. posted record handles and revenues as fans geared up for the NFL season.

• New York: $2.05 billion in bets (up from $1.44B in 2024)

• New Jersey: $814.3 million

• Louisiana: $271.4 million

• Maryland: $434.2 million

• North Carolina: $478.7 million

Revenue in New York alone jumped from $126 million to $178.8 million. Analysts expect September betting numbers to soar even higher as football ramps up.
👉 Read the full SportsHandle report here

How Fast Sports Betting Is Becoming Mainstream

• The Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association (FSGA) reports that 66 million adults bet on sports in the U.S. and Canada.

• Many crossover into fantasy sports, blurring the line between DFS and wagering.

• Younger fans are entering the market earlier — and 9 out of 10 say they’ll keep playing once of age.

But there’s a catch: traditional sportsbooks keep margins high, usually 10–15% vig, and sharp bettors often get limited or banned once they start winning.

Why EPICK Is Different

Instead of betting against a sportsbook, EPICK lets users compete peer-to-peer.

• Head-to-head contests with fixed multipliers

• Effective vig as low as 0.5–5% (compared to 10–15% at sportsbooks)

• Picker vs. Fader mechanics – either pick projections (More/Less) or fade someone else’s lineup

• No house restrictions – no limits on sharp winners

• One-click sharing of lineups on TikTok, Instagram, Discord, Reddit, and Twitter/X

• Available across 38+ U.S. states with contests in:

  • NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL

  • WNBA, MMA, Esports

  • College Football

👉 Learn more: How to Play Picks Mode on EPICK

Why 2025 Is the Perfect Time for Peer-to-Peer Fantasy

Sports betting handles are up 10–42% year-over-year in most states. At the same time, research shows that next-gen fantasy players overwhelmingly expect to transition into paid contests.

What they want most:

• Fair odds

• Lower fees

• Bigger payouts

• Social connection

Traditional sportsbooks can’t deliver this — but EPICK can.

📲 The Social Sports Era

Fans aren’t just betting. They’re watching and sharing.

• Live sports streaming on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube & Discord is skyrocketing

• Fans follow games in Reddit threads & Facebook groups

• Social media has become the digital sportsbook lounge

With EPICK’s instant lineup-sharing, every contest becomes a viral moment, powering organic growth through affiliate marketing and influencers.

👉 See EPICK’s Affiliate Program

Conclusion: Why EPICK Is Positioned to Win

As legalization expands and fantasy sports keeps growing, the industry will favor platforms that combine fairness, transparency, and community.

✅ Peer-to-peer model → no house edge
✅ Low vig (0.5–5%) → higher payouts for players
✅ Multi-sport coverage → year-round contests
✅ Social integration → organic, viral growth

EPICK is built for this moment — and ready to ride the wave of record sports betting handles in 2025.

👉 Start playing today: Sign Up on EPICK

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• Contest Rules → https://epickfantasy.com/contest-rules

• Sign Up / Play Now → https://app.epickfantasy.com/