The Illinois Gaming Board reported sports wagering handle of nearly $1.03 billion for the month of November late Wednesday, with the total less than $41,000 shy of breaking October’s record.
It was the first time the Land of Lincoln had back-to-back $1 billion monthly handles since accepting its first bets in March 2020, and it also came close to consecutive months with $100 million in adjusted revenue as it finished at $97 million.
Illinois also likely secured the No. 3 spot nationally in handle for the second straight year – its $8.7 billion in accepted bets is $900 million ahead of Nevada with both states yet to publish revenue figures for the final month of 2022. Illinois handle has surged 40% higher compared to the first 11 months of last year, with revenue up 45.3% to $714 million.
The state received $14.5 million in tax receipts in November, pushing Illinois’ total for the calendar year over $100 million and its all-time total beyond $200 million. Cook County, which includes the city of Chicago and levies a 2% tax on all revenue made from wagers placed inside the county, had an inflow of more than $1 million into its coffers for a second straight month and has collected $7.6 million for the year to date.