Illinois Sports Betting Revenue Down 46% in February
Illinois is regularly one of the top sports betting states in the country and even it saw a substantial decrease in sports betting activity during February.
The state reported a handle of $679.4 million, down 21.7% from January’s $867.5 million but was 33.3% more than February 2021’s $509.8 million.
February’s Illinois mobile sports betting handle was $652.3 million, a decrease of 21.3% from January’s $829.1 million and was 33.1% higher than February 202’s $490.2 million.
Illinois’ February sports betting revenue was $35.6 million, down 46.2% from Januarys $66.3 million and was a decrease of 0.6% from February 2021’s $35.4 million.
The state’s sports betting tax was $5.8 million, down 46.1% from January's $10.7 million.
Illinois Sports Betting Handle, February vs. January
| Total handle | Mobile Handle | Revenue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | $679.374M | $652.323M | $35.600M |
| January | $867.505M | $829.113M | $66.219M |
| Change | Down 21.7% | Down 21.3% | Down 46.2% |
Basketball Top Sport
With the Super Bowl the only marquee game during February, basketball was the most wagered on sport during the month, taking in $289 million of the handle.
Football was second at $50.6 million, while tennis ($56.8 million), soccer ($37.8 million) and hockey ($28 million) rounded out the Top 5. Other sports combined for $55.1 million, and the parlay handle came to $146.4 million.
Illinois Fourth-Highest Handle So Far
Of the states to report February handles so far, Illinois ranks as the fourth-highest in the country, following New York ($1.534 billion), New Jersey ($985.6 million) and Nevada ($780.8 million) while ranking ahead of Pennsylvania ($597.1 million) to round out the Top 5.
Illinois 2022 Casino Revenue Up
In March, Illinois recorded $119.1 million in casino revenue with $90.2 million from electronic gaming devices (EGD) and $29 million from table games, up 27.3% from February’s $93.6 million ($72 million from EGDs, $21.6 million from table games).
Illinois Bans Betting on Russian Sports
Following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter banned sportsbooks in the state from posting odds on contests taking place in Russia.
"I have determined that wagering in Illinois on such sports poses a significant likelihood of serious risks to the integrity of the Illinois sports wagering industry," Fruchter said during a virtual Gaming Board meeting. "We hope that peace will soon prevail."
The Russian Kontinental Hockey League and table tennis games in Russia are two of the leagues that regularly have odds posted. But for now, Illinois residents will no longer be able to bet on those games.
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