Illinois sports betting handle hits record $867.5m in January

The state registered an increase of 9.9 per cent from December´s $789.6m and breaking its $840.4m record set in October.

US.- Illinois sportsbooks generated $867.5m in online and retail wagers in January, breaking the record $840.4m handle in October. January’s handle was up 9.9 per cent from $789.6m in December and up 49.2 per cent from the $581.6m reported in January 2021.

Sportsbooks recorded $59.3m in gross revenue, up 61.2 per cent from $36.7m in December and 20.2 per cent from $49.4m in the same period 2021. Football betting produced $224.1m in wagers, down from $265.7m the previous month, while basketball betting reported $276.2m, up from $226.4m.

Online betting accounted for $829.1m, or 95.6 per cent, of all wagers. DraftKings reported $293.2m in bets, including $283.7m in online wagers. It produced $17.2m in gross revenue. FanDuel registered $261.2m in online and retail wagers, including $259.1m in online wagering. That yielded a state-high $23m in gross revenue.

Joe Boozell, lead analyst for PlayIllinois.com, said: “The momentum of the last four months will serve sportsbooks well as the removal of the in-person registration requirement on March 5 moved Illinois sports betting into a new era.

“Sports betting has continued to gain popularity in the state, and with the reins lifted, Illinois could very well grow into the second-largest market in the U.S. this year.”

Eric Ramsey, an analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayIllinois.com, commented: “The NFL did sportsbooks a massive favor by expanding its regular season and playoff schedule. The fact that those additional games were all squeezed into one month helped produce some eye-popping numbers in Illinois and beyond.”

See also: Caesars Sportsbook launches mobile sports betting app in Illinois