Illinois reports third-highest handle in the US with $764M in May despite summer slowdown

Despite the fact that sports betting handle has declined in most states due to the usual slowdown in summer, Illinois seems untouched as it has reported the third highest total in the country, behind New York and New Jersey. The state reported over $764 million during May, a 9% decrease from April’s $839 million figure.

During the month of May, gambling markets around the globe start to slow down for the summer. However, the NBA playoffs and Major League Baseball saw the state come through with a solid month. About $375 million was bet on these two leagues alone, with basketball collecting a total of $191.2 million followed by baseball ($184.2 million).

Furthermore, parlay wagering saw a total of $160.7 million, followed by tennis with $70.9 million and hockey ($51.2 million). May’s betting receipts created nearly $11 million worth of taxes for the state.  

The state set a new record for wagers in a single month earlier this year. The NCAA Tournament helped Illinois generate a $971 million handle during March. That fell just short of the state’s first-ever billion-dollar month, but Illinois might be able to reach that height later this year, according to Play Illinois. Football is the most popular sport in the U.S., and the NFL's return is expected to boost betting numbers in the fall. 

FanDuel was the top online operator in May, claiming nearly $31.9 million in revenue. It was followed by DraftKings, BetRivers, PointsBet, and BetMGM. The month’s $764 million handle translated to $65 million worth of Illinois sports betting revenue.