Illinois has topped the $500m mark in wagers for five consecutive months and in doing so has secured itself as the second top market nationally behind New Jersey.
Approximately 95%, or $483m, of May handle was placed online even as the state prohibits mobile sportsbook registration.
Gross gaming revenue was $36.6m, a 12.9% drop from the prior month. Adjusted gross revenue came out to $36.2m which produced $5.9m in state and local taxes.
Basketball was the most heavily wagered on sport in May, generating $154.3m. Baseball was close behind with $126.1m, which was up slightly from April. The strong play of the Chicago Cubs and White Sox should ensure baseball’s popularity throughout the summer.
Tennis brought in another $32.6m in wagers, followed by soccer ($29.3m) and hockey ($21.1m).
DraftKings/Casino Queen led the market with $170.1m in handle for the month, $157m of which was wagered online. The operator and casino took in $7.2m in GGR.
FanDuel/Fairmont was the big winner in May, with GGR of $20.2m on $156m in handle.
BetRivers/Rivers Casino was third in handle with $89m, which led to $5.2m in GGR.
Barstool/Hollywood Casino took in $39.6m in wagers and $1.5m in gross revenue, while PointsBet/Hawthorne Race Course rounded out the top five with $39m in handle and $2.3m in GGR.
Illinois’ market is still absent of some of the biggest operators including BetMGM, theScore, Unibet and Golden Nugget. Because the state requires land-based sportsbook registration, mobile operators currently must enter market access agreements with retail casinos located well outside the Chicagoland region.
One option is Boyd Gaming-owned Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria. Another is Argosy Casino Alton, near St. Louis.
The Illinois legislature recently passed a bill that would allow Wintrust Arena, home of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, to host a retail sportsbook, which could open another option.
Even as Illinois’ market awaits full potential, Lincoln State sports betting is showing no signs of slowing down.
