According to a report published Friday by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB), Illinois bookies handled $1.17 billion in wagers during October, breaking the previous mark of $1.06 billion wagered during September.
The Illinois sportsbooks also reported a 10% revenue hike from a year ago, generating $112.7 million in revenue. The state of Illinois claimed $17 million in taxes, with $1.2 million going to Cook County, IL.
DraftKings, FanDuel Top Mobile Markets
DraftKings IL and FanDuel run neck-and-neck in every state the two mobile goliaths operate in, and Illinois is no exception. The two combined for $800 million of the state’s historic $1.17 billion October betting handle.
DraftKings took home the state’s top honors, accepting $426.5 million in Prairie State wagers. FanDuel claimed a $399.7 million handle, while BetRivers, PointsBet, and Caesars rounded out the five most popular mobile destinations during October.
DraftKings Leads October Mobile Revenue
FanDuel took in the second-most wagers but generated a state-best $43.3 million in revenue. DraftKings generated the second-most revenue ($38.8 million), topping their own September $30.5 million record.
BetRivers ($9.2 million), PointsBet ($6.1 million), and BetMGM ($4.9 million) rounded out the top five.
Circa Sports was the only operator not earning any October revenue. The Las Vegas-based bookmaker handled $8.8 million in wagers, but Prairie State gamblers won $28,554 from the only “sharp book” operating within the state’s borders.
PENN Gaming
PENN Gaming, formerly Barstool Sportsbook, finished last in betting handle but earned a seventh-best $2.5 million in revenue. October was the final month for this partnership, and it will be interesting to see what ESPN Bet IL can generate during November and beyond.
Parlay, Parlay, Parlay
Illinois residents wagered a whopping $353.1 million in parlay cards, teasers, same-game and premade parlays, and any other gimmick the bookmakers hung on the board. That accounted for $65.1 million of the $108.9 million in October revenue on an 18.2% hold or win rate.
Football was the most individually popular sport by far. Illinois bettors earned $387.2 million on NFL and college football in October, earning the bookies $6.9 million in revenue. Basketball, fueled by the start of the NBA season, earned the sports betting operators $1.6 million on $117 million in bets.
Pro tennis ($83.1 million), Pro baseball ($79.4 million), and Other Sports (racing, pickleball, etc) rounded out the top five most wagered sports with $59.3 million in October bets.
