A big September has propelled the Illinois sports betting industry into second place in the country in year-to-date revenue.
Illinois’ sports betting handle increased 47% from August to September, according to figures released by the Illinois Gaming Board.
“They don’t break it down so that you really know, but it is obvious that the NFL season started in September and these are numbers that go through the end of September so that is the biggest reason for that jump,” said Dave Briggs with the sports betting website PlayIllinois.com.
In September alone, Illinois was third with a betting handle of nearly $832 million, behind New Jersey and New York. It should be noted that New Jersey is home to two NFL teams, both of which are having successful seasons unlike the Chicago Bears.
“Betting does tend to go up when the season is going well, and they found out that in New Jersey for years, that betting does tend to increase when you’re having a positive fan experience,” said Briggs.
So far this year, Illinois ranks second in the country in terms of tax revenue from sports betting. Illinois sportsbooks have accounted for over $82 million in state and local taxes in 2022, and have produced over $187 million in tax revenue since the industry launched in March 2020.
With more sportsbooks expected to arrive in Illinois, the state is inching closer to surpassing Pennsylvania and jumping into third place in terms of lifetime sports betting revenue and handle.
Nationwide, 26 states allow legal sports betting and have produced a combined handle of nearly $161 billion through September.
