Illinois became the fourth state to surpass $1 billion in sports wagering operator revenue when Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter announced Thursday the state’s top-line numbers for July during the state agency meeting.
The nearly $46.1 million claimed by sportsbooks in July was the ninth-highest total in 27 months of wagering since launch in March 2020. Illinois joined New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania as the only states to reach the revenue benchmark in the post-PASPA era and was the fastest to do so, as both New Jersey and Nevada needed 35 months and Pennsylvania required 41.
Illinois again failed to knock New Jersey out of the No. 2 spot for national handle as traditional wagers accepted totaled $516.4 million in July, while the completed events handle was $518.6 million. The traditional handle gap between the two states for July was $15 million, after they were separated by $6.5 million in May and June combined. Handle was down 17.8% compared to June’s $628.5 million but also up nearly 40% versus July 2021.
Operators posted an 8.9% hold, leading to the state receiving $6.9 million in tax receipts for the month’s action. Sports wagering has generated $58.1 million in state taxes for Illinois this year, $14 million ahead of the pace from the first seven months of 2021 as revenue has increased 32.4% year-over-year to $387.3 million.