Illinois betting volume drops below $500M in June, revenue still surges once again

Wagering at Illinois sportsbooks slowed in June to below $500 million, marking a first time since December 2020. Illinois bettors wagered $476.5 million, down from $507.3 million in May, a decline of 6%. This is the lowest amount bet in the state since November 2020.

On a daily pace, betting slowed to $15.9 million over June, compared to $16.9 million per day in the month of May.

Despite the lowered handle, the state finished third nationally behind New Jersey and Nevada. Moreover, Illinois became the fourth state to cross $3 billion in handle in 2021 alone, and became the quickest to reach $5 billion, which took 16 months, breaking New Jersey's record of 18 months.

Revenue, once again, surged, due to the effects of summer’s sports calendar and in-person registration requirements: adjusted gaming revenue (AGR) was recorded at $47.5 million, up 31.1% month-on-month from $36.2 million. This revenue total was only $430,000 less than all-time high of $47.9 million in January.

Illinois sportsbooks’ follows a similar path as most major U.S. markets in June: revenue surged despite seasonal headwinds. Betting industry awaits the fall sports season, expected to boost figures.

Throughout the analyzed month, basketball remained the top sport in terms of bets: $126.9 million, surpassing baseball’s figures of $126.7 million.

Of all June’s bets, 94.8% were made online. Another key fact was parlay wagering confirming its status as one of Illinois most popular options among bettors, with $101.3 million.

DraftKings claimed the top handle for June at $156.8 million; more than $13.1 million in revenue with parlays accounting for 35.5% of that figure.

FanDuel also took advantage of this parlay preference, becoming the first online operator in the state to generate $20 million in monthly revenue, accounting $14.1 million alone on such wagering.