While Illinois sports betting did not hit a new handle record in November, the state’s sportsbooks shattered the revenue record.
Illinois sports betting generated $78.2 million in revenue during November 2021, according to an Illinois Gaming Board report. That came from $779.8 million in bets during the month, with sportsbooks holding approximately 10%.
The handle was down 7.2% from October’s record-setting $840.4 million, which resulted in $48.3 million in sports betting revenue.
Parlays drive Illinois sports betting revenue
More than $44 million of November sports betting revenue in Illinois came from parlays. Bettors wagered $166.4 million on parlays, while sportsbooks held an incredible 26.5% on the bets.
NFL betting helped fuel the $21.2 million in revenue that came from football.
Thanks to the hefty revenue figures, the state collected a record $12.7 million in taxes from IL sports betting.
DraftKings paces the market
Bettors placed nearly $746 million in bets online, or 95.7% of the total handle. DraftKings Sportsbook controlled 38% of the online market with $283.8 million in bets.
FanDuel Sportsbook took $214.4 million in online bets, while BetRivers was the only other sportsbook to take more than $100 million in online bets with $112.3 million.
Rivers Des Plaines led retail sportsbooks with $15.5 million in handle, owing to its central location.
| Sportsbook | Total Handle | Online Handle | Total Revenue | Hold | Online Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings Sportsbook | $288.7 million | $283.8 million | $21.9 million | 7.6% | 38.0% |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | $216.2 million | $214.4 million | $30.2 million | 14.0% | 28.8% |
| BetRivers | $127.8 million | $112.3 million | $13.5 million | 10.6% | 15.1% |
| Barstool Sportsbook | $62.1 million | $60.6 million | $5.4 million | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| PointsBet | $57.4 million | $54.6 million | $5.7 million | 9.9% | 7.3% |
| Caesars Sportsbook | $21.9 million | $20.2 million | $670,046 | 3.1% | 2.7% |
Could more growth be in IL sports betting future?
Illinois established itself as a top legal US sports betting market in 2021, often trailing behind just New Jersey sports betting and Nevada sports betting in terms of handle.
The market did benefit from remote registration being allowed by Gov. JB Pritzker during the COVID pandemic before the restriction was reinstated. That restriction will disappear March 5, likely fostering more growth in the state.
The law that lifts that restriction also repeals a ban on betting on in-state colleges, but only at retail sportsbooks. Additionally, the Chicago City Council voted in December to allow retail sportsbooks at professional sports venues.
