December closed out the year positively in Illinois, with the state taking in $789.6m in handle, catapulting the yearly sports betting total beyond $7bn.
The final month of the year marked the continuation of a very busy period in sports betting across the country, with a packed NFL schedule bringing bettors to online and retail sportsbooks in their masses.
Overall, December was a strong month for sports betting, with handle seeing a yearly increase of 61%, beating out November’s numbers but failing to overcome October’s impressive $840.4m in wagers. Bettors wagered less daily than in November however, coming in at $25.5m per day, compared to $26m.
Gross gaming revenue was down in the year's final month, falling 53% from November and coming in at $36.7m. These profits raised $5.4m in state and local taxes.
Online sports betting continued to dominate the Prairie State, making up 95% of all wagers during December.
These impressive numbers were partly fuelled by a busy football season, with the sport bringing in $265.7m in wagers. Concurrently, basketball had a positive month, with a total handle of $226.4m.
DraftKings continued its reign as the leading sportsbook in the state, with its partnership with Casino Queen earning $295m in retail and online handle. FanDuel followed with around $40m less. However, the operator won the month in terms of revenue with a state-best $13.9m.
There will soon be another competitor in the state, with BetMGM recently approved for operation.
2021 ends with Illinois as the third-biggest state in terms of sports betting handle, with only New Jersey and Nevada surpassing it. Revenue increased by over $130m when compared to 2020, and taxes increased four-fold in the same time period.
