Illinois betting handle surpassed $300m in September but sportsbooks generated little revenue.
According to the latest figures from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB), bettors in the state wagered $305.1m on sporting events in September representing a significant increase on the $140m wagered the month prior.
Land-based sportsbooks accounted for $22.1m of the state’s total handle and $1.5m of Illinois’ revenue. Bettors in the state staked $283m via online sportsbooks but these bets only managed to generate $5.4m in revenue for operators.
This comes as Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker extended the executive order permitting online sportsbook registration for the fifth time.
How did each sportsbook perform?
According to the figures, Rush Street Entertainment’s Kambi-powered BetRivers sportsbook dominated the state and generated almost all of the state’s revenue. The sportsbook managed to generate $6m from $11.2m in sports bets.
Although Rush Street’s sportsbook was the first to launch in the state, other operators have managed to establish a presence in the state.
DraftKings’ sportsbook at Casino Queen Alton had its first full month of operation in September and managed to generate $222,000 in revenue from $95.8m in wagers.
FanDuel’s sportsbook at Boyd Gaming’s Par-A-Dice casino came in third place after processing $76.2m in bets. Despite processing $76.2m in bets, the sportsbook’s revenue for the month was negative.
Hawthorne Racecourse and its sports betting partner PointsBet followed close behind after generating $166,000 in sports betting revenue. The Argosy Casino Alton trailed behind with $161,000 in revenue.
Betting activity
Football was the most popular sport to bet on after bringing in $91.4m in bets and generating $2.7m in revenue for operators. Baseball followed behind football with $65.8m in handle and $1.7m in revenue.
Baseball was the third-most-popular sport to bet on in the state with $48.6m in bets and $1.4m in revenue. Parlay cards were also popular bringing in $2.5m in revenue from $44.5m in bets.
The majority of sports bets were placed on professional sporting events accounting for $285.2m of the state’s handle. Collegiate sports accounted for $19.7m in handle while $259,000 was wagered on motorsports and $3,000 was bet on special events.
Tier one wagers, which includes bets on the final match result, accounted for $168.6m of the state’s handle. Tier two bets, which includes prop bets and over/unders, attracted $136.5m in bets.
