Since the in-person registration requirement for mobile Illinois sports betting expired, the state continues to solidify itself as a top US sports betting market.
Illinois sports betting hit $764.6 million in May bets, according to an Illinois Gaming Board report released recently. That trails New Jersey sports betting by less than $2 million as the No. 2 overall handle in US sports betting in May.
The in-person registration requirement for mobile IL sports betting expired permanently in March, and the state’s handle has exploded since then. May’s total grew nearly 51% compared to May 2021.
Illinois revenue grows too
The May handle was just a 9% decrease from April’s $839.4 million total in bets.
Illinois sportsbooks generated $67.5 million in May sports betting revenue, an 8.8% hold. That is an 86.1% increase compared to May 2021’s $36.2 million.
The all-time Illinois sportsbook revenue was $78.2 million in November 2021.
The state collected $10.9 million in May taxes.
FanDuel keeps Illinois sports betting lead
Illinois bettors placed $734.1 million in online wagers, or 96% of the overall handle.
FanDuel led the online sports betting operators in Illinois, taking $253.7 million in bets. The sportsbook held 12% for $30.4 million in online revenue.
DraftKings was second in the market with $204.1 million in wagers. BetRivers took $82.7 million in bets, while PointsBet handled $66.8 million.
BetMGM building Illinois market
BetMGM claimed the fifth-highest handle in May with $44.5 million in bets. The sportsbook launched in March and continues to outpace Barstool and Caesars in the state.
Barstool Sportsbook took $42.9 million in online wagers during the month, while Caesars Sportsbook trailed the other six online operators with $39.5 million in bets.
| Sportsbook | Online Handle | Online Revenue | Hold | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $253.7 million | $30.4 million | 12% | 35% |
| DraftKings | $204.1 million | $13.0 million | 6.4% | 28% |
| BetRivers | $82.7 million | $7.0 million | 8.5% | 11% |
| PointsBet | $66.8 million | $4.1 million | 6.2% | 9% |
| BetMGM | $44.5 million | $3.0 million | 6.9% | 6% |
| Barstool | $42.9 million | $2.2 million | 5.2% | 6% |
| Caesars | $39.5 million | $1.6 million | 4.0% | 5% |
NBA playoffs help Illinois sports betting
Basketball was the top sport in Illinois during May, making up 25% of the market with $192.9 million in bets. Baseball was second with $183.5 million in bets.
Illinois sportsbooks took $155 million in parlay bets, which resulted in big wins for the operators.
Sportsbooks held 20.5% on parlays during May, generating $31.8 million in revenue. That includes FanDuel’s incredible 29.7% hold on $69.7 million in bets, good for $20.6 million in revenue.
