Sports betting operators in Illinois took in revenue of $40.0m in September, up 484.6% year-on-year and 49.3% more than in August.
This total came on wagers worth $591.8m, the second-highest recorded by the state, after March’s $627.6m. This was up significantly from $394.0m in August and $305.1m in September 2020.
Online betting made up almost all of the total, at $37.6m. This was just short of seven times the total recorded in September 2020 as players wagered $566.0m, almost exactly double the amount wagered the year prior.
Retail betting brought in the remaining $2.4m, up 64.8%. This came on bets worth $25.8m, a 16.8% increase from 2020.
Illinois also splits bets into ‘tier one’ and ‘tier two’ wagers.
Tier one wagers, defined as bets on final match results, brought in bets worth $351.2m, up 108.3%, while tier two wagers, such as prop bets or over/unders, attracted bets worth $240.6m, a 76.3% increase.
Breaking revenue down by operator, Fairmount Park – which is partnered with FanDuel – brought in betting revenue of $16.7m. Rush Street Interactive – which partners with Rush Street Entertainment’s Midwest Gaming joint venture – brought in $8.3m, and led the way in retail revenue with $1.1m.
DraftKings partner Casino Queen brought in $6.6m in revenue, while Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino Aurora and its Barstool-branded sportsbook contributed $3.6m.
The state took in $6.1m in sports betting tax revenue. Of this total, $5.6m came from the base 15% tax rate on all sports wagers in the state. An additional $428,571 was from the additional 2% tax rate levied on bets placed in Cook County, which includes Chicago.
Earlier this month, a bill to allow players to register for betting accounts online – rather than having to sign up at a land-based casino – was approved by both houses of the state legislature.