With MLB and the NBA back in action in July, Illinois sportsbooks finally gave a glimpse at the true potential of the state’s sports betting industry.
Overall betting handle for July clocked in at over $52.5 million in Illinois. July marked the first month in which both retail and online sports betting were available to Illinois bettors for the full month.
Illinois retail casinos were authorized to reopen July 1. The retail sports betting handle numbers released by the Illinois Gaming Board include revenue earned by live sportsbooks at Rivers Casino Des Plaines and Argosy Casino Alton.
Illinois Sports Betting Handle March-July 2020
| March | April | May | June | July | March-July 2020 Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Betting Handle | $997,739.13 | N/A | N/A | N/A | $4,000,020.41 | $4,997,759.54 |
| Online Betting Handle | N/A | N/A | N/A | $8,281,802.87 | $48,524,591.97 | $56,806,394.84 |
| Total Betting Handle | $997,739.13 | N/A | N/A | $8,281,802.87 | $52,524,612.38 | $61,804,154.38 |
Online Handle From BetRivers Drives Illinois Numbers
Sports betting in Illinois generated just under $62 million in handle since sports betting went live in the Prarie State in March. Not surprisingly, most of that comes from online betting.
BetRivers launched Illinois’ first online sports betting platform in June. With professional baseball and basketball back in action in July, BetRivers online sportsbooks took in more than $48.5 million in monthly betting handle.
In the first full month that Illinois bettors could access both retail and online sports betting, online wagers made up more than 92% of overall betting handle.
BetRivers time as Illinois’ only mobile sportsbook ended in August, however, as both DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook joined the Illinois market. PointsBet and William Hill joined the ranks of Illinois’ online sportsbooks in September.
Since the end of July, six more retail sportsbooks have also opened for business in Illinois. With the number of retail and online options growing rapidly, and the NFL and college football back in action, revenue numbers for Illinois sports betting will likely experience a significant increase.
Customizable monthly revenue reports from the Illinois Gaming Board can be found here.
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