Illinois’ June Sports Betting Revenues Released, DraftKings on Top

Article ByDavid Weir

August 16, 2023

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Posted in: Illinois Gambling News, US Gambling News, US Sports Betting News

Illinois’ sports betting sector saw significant year-on-year growth for June 2023. Despite the summer months traditionally indicating a slowdown in betting activities across the U.S., the latest figures from the Illinois Gaming Board show the state’s bettors were not on the same page.

The Prairie State’s total handle for June 2023 was an impressive $665.77 million.

While this represented a 19% decrease from May’s figures, it showcased a 5.9% growth compared to June 2022. Revenue for the month was reported at $54.67 million, marking a 38.6% drop from May. However, when viewed year-over-year, there was a promising 33.6% growth.

As reflected across the nation, Illinois bettors vastly preferred online sportsbooks to retail venues, and the two most popular sportsbooks were DraftKings and FanDuel.

Comparing the Pack

DraftKings recorded the highest handle in Illinois for June at $228.7 million. FanDuel was hot on its heels with a handle of $221.4 million. However, in terms of revenue, FanDuel took the crown with $21.5 million, attributed to a state-best 9.7% hold, while DraftKings reported $16.9 million.

While DraftKings and FanDuel remain dominant, BetRivers, the online arm of casino operator Rivers Casino, took third place as best-of-the-rest. It reported a revenue of $5.1 million on a handle of $55.7 million.

Just behind BetRivers was Caesars Sportsbook, with a handle of $45.9 million and revenue of $2.6 million, and PointsBet, which generated $2.4 million in revenue from wagers totaling $41 million.

Bally Bet was absent from state reporting figures in June, as it was closed while it reconfigured its app for a national relaunch with new technology from developer Kambi.

June’s overall hold percentage for sports betting operators in Illinois stood at 8.2%. Online platforms contributed a significant $647.7 million to the total handle and accounted for $53 million of the revenue.

In comparison, retail sportsbooks took just $17.7 million for the month in handle. However, they reported a slightly higher hold against bettors at 9.1%.

Tax revenue from sports betting for the state experienced a dip from May’s $14.5 million to $8.2 million in June. Geographically, Cook County, which includes Chicago, collected $661,599 from operators during the month.

National Picture

Nationally, Illinois maintained a strong position in the sports betting arena. Only New York surpassed Illinois in terms of handle, with the state outperforming New Jersey by over $75 million. As of June 2023, Illinois’ year-to-date handle exceeded $5 billion, approaching a tax revenue accumulation nearing $75 million for the year.

Over the coming months, there will also be at least two new entrants to the Illinois sportsbook scene. Betway will be taking up on of three new online-only sports betting licenses, for which it has paid the state $20 million. It expects to launch sometime in August or September.

Meanwhile Hard Rock International has been given the go-ahead to launch a retail sportsbook at its Hard Rock Casino Rockford venue.

The sportsbook still has to be built and go through regulatory inspection to ensure it is up to standard before it launches. Hard Rock also expects to complete that process before the end of 2023.