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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,”
Briggs said.
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.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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