Illinois sportsbooks took $52.5 million in bets in their first full month of operation in July according to data released by the state.
More than 92% of wagers were placed online. Of course, only one online book was up and running online in July, meaning BetRivers enjoyed a healthy $48.5 million in online handle.
Illinois books have now taken around $61.5 million in bets since launch in March.
Adjusted gross revenue for the state in July was $3.6 million, good for a hold rate of 6.8%.
The only other book live in July was the Argosy Casino Alton. That took about $540,000 in July, all offline.
Both books are powered by Kambi.
The power of remote sign-ups
The massive online split shows the benefit of remote registration, which was allowed during July, thanks to Gov. JB Pritzker executive order. However, that could expire this weekend, if the order is not extended.
In a quiet month for US sports, soccer was the most bet on sport, with $20.5 million in bets.
Baseball came in second with $17.7 million, followed by UFC with $4.6 million then golf at $4.4 million.
Explosive growth on the way for IL
For comparison, Illinois’ handle was about double Colorado’s first full month of operation. Colorado had six online operators live, albeit with a much smaller population.
And Illinois sports betting numbers could explode in the coming months with the addition of FanDuel, DraftKings and PointsBet to the market. New Jersey posted record sports betting numbers in August.
William Hill sportsbook app now live
Illinois will get another boost, as William Hill became the fifth mobile sportsbook to go live on Tuesday.
The company launched via its partnership with Caesars Entertainment’s Grand Victoria Casino.
“We’re excited to bring our top-performing mobile app to my hometown state of Illinois,” said Ken Fuchs, president of digital for William Hill.
“We look forward to providing millions of sports fans in the state with the best markets and great service.”
William Hill opened its first retail sportsbook in Illinois earlier this summer at Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin.
