The 2023 fiscal year was a solid one in Illinois, with casinos in the Land of Lincoln posting more than $1.5 billion in revenue on the heels of a solid final month of the year.
Overall, Illinois casinos reported $141,227,206 in gaming revenue in December, which represented an 8.3% jump from November’s total of $130,364,757. There are no legal Illinois online casinos.
The facilities also saw increases in electronic gaming device (EGD) revenue, from $97,231,208 in November to $107,441,166 in December, as well as table games revenue, which grew from $33,133,549 in November to $33,786,040 in December.
Substantial Increase Over 2022
In total, Illinois casinos reported a 12.8% year-over-year increase in casino revenues, finishing 2023 at $1,521,540,973, up from the $1,348,662,504 the operators took in during the 2022 fiscal year.
The state’s casino operators saw month-over-month gains in seven different months during the 2023 fiscal year, with the largest gains coming in March (13.9%), July (9.0%) and December (8.3%). Conversely, the biggest drop-off, revenue-wise, for Illinois casinos was in August, a 6.6% decline from July’s total of $133,258,227, finishing the month at $124,438,614.
The largest monthly casino handle in 2023 was December’s $141,227,206 total, beating out July’s $133,258,227 figure. March, September and November also had revenues in excess of $130 million. In 2023, the state generated $1,152,760,262 from EGDs and another $368,780,710 from table games — both of which exceeded Illinois’ totals from the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years.
Illinois sports betting numbers should be reported next week.