Although Illinois failed to top the $500 million mark in total sports handle for the first time this year, the revenue figure it posted more than made up for the dip in handle.
Illinois sports betting saw $476.5 million wagered in June, a 6.1% decline from May’s handle of $507.3 million. Revenue, though, was up more than 31% as were the taxes collected by the state, according to the June report posted Thursday by the Illinois Gaming Board.
Illinois is the last state to report monthly figures. Here are three key takeaways from June’s report for IL gambling.
Illinois Sports Betting Handle, June vs. May
| Total handle | Mobile Handle | Retail Handle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June | $476.517M | $451.692M | $24.825M |
| May | $507.280M | $482.503M | $24.777M |
| Change | Down 6.1% | Down 6.4% | Up 0.2% |
Revenue, Tax Numbers in IL Rise
Revenue from sports betting in June in Illinois came in at nearly $48 million ($47.5 million), near the state record set in January. It was up 31.2% from May’s $36.2 million. The Illinois hold in June was around 10%.
In addition to the revenue number posted by Illinois, state taxes collected were also up. They came in at $7.13 million, a 31.3% rise from May’s $5.34 million. Cook County received about $557,000, an increase from May’s $419,670.
Third Straight Decline in IL
June was the third straight month that Illinois saw the sports handle decrease. It was the first month in 2021 that the state failed to top $500 million in sports handle.
The state record for handle is $633.6 million, set in March.
Bettors in Illinois will be looking ahead to the fall and Illinois NFL betting. The Bears are hugely popular and drafted a potential franchise quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft in Justin Fields of Ohio State. The Bears’ Super Bowl odds improved after the pick.
Mobile Numbers Are Strong Again
The mobile sports betting numbers in Illinois continue to be impressive. Illinois betting apps had 94.8% of the Illinois sports betting market in June, which mirrored the percentage in May. That rivals the percentage in top states for online sports betting.
June mobile handle in Illinois came in at $451.7 million, which was down 6.4% from May’s $482.5 million.
What makes the mobile numbers so strong is that in-person registration in Illinois was brought back beginning in April.
This article was updated to show that the revenue record was set in January.
