A tip of the hat to the Land of Lincoln as Illinois reported more than $1.5 billion tax revenue in 2023 when official figures were released by the Illinois Gaming Board late last week.
Revenue was from the state’s 15 licensed casinos, more than 46,000 video game terminals and 13 Illinois sportsbooks. More than $1.3 billion came from state taxes and more than $243 million from local taxes.
Total Illinois sports betting wagering handle for the year was more than $11.6 billion and it resulted in more than $150.3 million to state taxes. Illinois sports wagering was launched in 2020.
“None of the tax revenue and other economic benefits from legal casino gambling, video gaming and sports wagering would have been possible without the IGB’s tireless work to protect the integrity and public confidence in Illinois gaming,” said IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter in a news announcement.
“The IGB looks forward to continued cooperation and partnership with our licensees and stakeholders to ensure continued success, revenue generation, accountability, compliance, and the highest ethical standards for Illinois gaming in 2024 and beyond.”
The IGB will conduct its next scheduled regular meeting on March 14.
Revenue Reports for Casinos, Sports Betting
Earlier this month, the state reported January handle and revenue for casinos and December handle and revenue for sports betting.
Retail casinos reported more than $118.6 in gaming revenue, which was a 16% decrease from December 2023. In fact, it was the lowest number dating back to last February. There are no Illinois online casinos.
Total handle for sports betting exceeded $1.3 billion for the month of December. Illinois sports betting apps ($1.274 billion) produced 97 percent of the handle.
Over the Saturday/Sunday weekend (Feb. 10-11), GeoComply conducted just under 9 million geolocation checks and identified more than 700,000 active sports wagering accounts within the state of Illinois.
