Illinois became the fourth state in the post-PASPA era to surpass $25 billion in sports wagering handle Friday after the Illinois Gaming Board reported nearly $676.1 million in traditional handle for August.
The Land of Lincoln joins New Jersey, Nevada, and New York in that select group, reaching the benchmark in 40 months of wagering when not including months when retail-only betting was unavailable due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Mobile wagering has accounted for all but $980 million of that handle, and Illinois bettors have wagered $6.7 billion in the first eight months of 2023.
August’s handle was not enough to top New Jersey for the No. 2 spot nationally, marking the first time Illinois was not runner-up to New York in monthly handle since finishing fourth in January.
Operators claimed $46.9 million in adjusted gross revenue in August, which was down 1.8% compared to the same month in 2022. Handle was up 19.7% versus the comparable period last year, but the 6.9% hold was more than 1.5 percentage points lower. It was the first time since June 2022 that Illinois operators failed to reach the standard industry threshold of 7%.