Illinois continues to impress with its betting handle numbers. September was no exception, as Illinois gamblers wagered a record-setting $1.09 billion, slightly edging out the previous record of $1.07 billion during March.
Illinois sportsbooks reported adjusted gross revenue of $86.2 million on an eight percent win rate. This was the lowest win rate for the bookmakers over the past two months and a signal that Illinois bettors are getting the best of the bookies more frequently than in the past.
As usual, the big winner is the state of Illinois. State-licensed bookmakers contributed $12.9 million in taxes, and everyone was a winner during September.
DraftKings Makes History
The historic month didn’t stop with the $1.09 billion handle. DraftKings Illinois became the first licensed operator to handle over $400 million monthly. That led the state bookies in handle, but the $30 million in gross adjusted revenue was second to rival FanDuel.
FanDuel finished second in the handle to their Boston-based rival, accepting $346.8 million in Prairie State punters wagers. The NYC-based bookie and DFS operator led the state with $32.4 million in September revenue.
BetRivers, Caesars, and BetMGM close out the top five in both handle and revenue.
Football Paves the Way to Record Handle
September in Illinois means Chicago Bears football. Prairie State residents wagered $357 million on the Bears and whoever else seemed to be playing that day. The bookmakers earned $6.3 million in revenue from pro and college football during September.
The Chicago Cubs being in the pennant race may have fueled the $2.5 million revenue on $161.4 million in betting handle on pro baseball wagers during the final month of the MLB regular season.
The second week of the US Open and American Cori Gauff likely led to the over $96 million bet on pro tennis, while pro soccer finished fifth in the state with $48.5 million wagered on the beautiful sport.
Parlays Continue to Fuel the Revenue Fire
Parlay card wagers fueled the strong September revenue totals. Illinois residents wagered $293.6 million on the various parlay wagers and other gimmicks offered by most of the Illinois bookmakers. That gave the bookmakers $54.3 million in adjusted gross revenue.
