The Illinois Gaming Board reported traditional sports wagering handle totaling $564.8 million for August, pushing Illinois ahead of New Jersey for the No. 2 spot nationally for the month.
Only Arizona has yet to release handle and revenue for August, but it has never topped Illinois in handle since launching in September 2021. That makes the Land of Lincoln – home to Chicago and popular for putting giardiniera on its hot dogs – a near-lock to finish between New York and the Garden State.
Illinois generated more than $1.9 billion handle from May to July, just $22 million less than New Jersey in that span as it finished less than $2 million off the pace in May and less than $5 million off in June. If Illinois finishes ahead of Arizona as expected, it would mark the first time Illinois was No. 2 for handle since May 2021, when it edged out Nevada to finish behind New Jersey.
At that time, the Empire State was still working to figure out its mobile plans. New York launched online wagering in January and has been atop the national rankings the entire year.