Illinois becomes fifth-largest US sports betting market

The increased handle has been put down to Gov. Pritzker’s decision to temporarily lift rules on in-person registration.

US.- The state of Illinois rose to the position of the fifth-largest sports betting market in the US with a handle of $140.1m in August.

Illinois overtook Colorado, which reported a $128.6m handle, and came in next after the neighbouring state of Indiana, which reported a handle of $169m.

The handle was up 167 per cent from the $52.5m wagered in July. Analysts attributed the rise the state’s temporary lifting of its rule on in-person registration, meaning bettors can create accounts from home.

August also saw games in major sports leagues such as the MLB, NBA, and NHL.

Lead analyst at PlayIllinois.com, Dustin Gouker, said: “August’s results are a testament to just how lucrative a market Illinois truly can be. In-person registration was stunting growth, and that ended on August 21.

“And FanDuel did not launch until the end of the month. Even with that, Illinois found itself ahead of Colorado, which has matured much more quickly, and on the heels of Indiana, the country’s fourth-largest market.”