Illinois surpasses the $1 billion mark for sports betting revenue in November
In the bustling state of Illinois, the sports betting market continued its impressive growth in November, with a record-breaking handle of nearly $1.03 billion. This marks the first time Illinois has had back-to-back $1 billion monthly handles since March 2020.
Leading the charge among mobile sportsbooks, BetRivers recorded a revenue of $7.9 million, coming closest among mobile books to reaching eight figures. PointsBet followed closely behind with a revenue of $6.1 million, while FanDuel set an all-time state record with a traditional handle of $344 million.
Caesars Sportsbook and Barstool Sportsbook also saw significant growth, with revenues of $2.9 million and $2.4 million respectively. Interestingly, Barstool Sportsbook held the least revenue among mobile books, but had the highest handle at $46.1 million.
Basketball and football were the main drivers of revenue, generating $11.7 million and $12.4 million respectively. Basketball held a 4.5% win rate, while football had a 4.3% win rate outside of parlays.
In the retail sector, Casino Queen led all venues with a 17.6% win rate, followed by Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, which became the first sportsbook to have back-to-back months of more than $1 million in revenue. The Argosy in Alton was the only other venue to surpass $250,000 in revenue, racking up $331,000 from $4.2 million in accepted wagers.
The Illinois Gaming Board reported that the state received $14.5 million in tax receipts in November, pushing its total for the calendar year over $100 million. Illinois' revenue for the year has increased by 45.3% compared to the first 11 months of last year.
Cook County, which includes the city of Chicago, had an inflow of more than $1 million into its coffers for a second straight month. The county has collected $7.6 million for the year to date.
Soccer also saw a significant increase, with a handle of over $66.6 million, demolishing the previous record of $50.3 million set in November 2020. The $6.1 million in revenue from soccer wagers was an all-time high for the sport.
A surprising source of revenue came from hockey, which totaled close to $3 million thanks to a 9.8% win rate.
Overall retail revenue totaled $3.6 million, with a hold of 8.9% on $36.4 million in completed events handle.
Looking ahead, Arizona is the only state yet to report its sports betting handle for November. With its strong market, there is a strong likelihood that the national handle for the month will reach $10 billion for the first time in the post-PASPA era.
[1] Maryland launches online sports betting in late November 2022, but specific handle number for December 2022 is not available. [2] No specific statewide or national monthly handle figures for December 2022 are detailed in the current results for established states like Illinois. [3] More recent data focuses on 2025 figures and market launches (e.g., Missouri in 2025), but do not detail historical December 2022 data. [4] One source notes ongoing growth in US sports betting with total handle surpassing $500 billion lifetime through 2025, but monthly specifics for December 2022 are not included. [5] Precise national sports wagering handle for December 2022 including Illinois and Arizona is not reported in the provided data. Consulting historical monthly reports from state gaming commissions or authoritative sports betting analytics firms would be necessary for more precise December 2022 handle data.
- In the flourishing sports betting market of casino-and-gambling industries, bettors in Illinois placed a wager of nearly $1.03 billion on sports-betting events in November, with sports-betting revenue reaching significant figures for various mobile and retail books.
- Interestingly, despite holding the least revenue among mobile sportsbooks, Barstool Sportsbook had the highest handle at $46.1 million, showcasing the diversity in odds offered by different casino-and-gambling establishments.
- As the year moves forward, the landscape of sports betting continues to expand, with Arizona set to report its first post-PASPA sports betting handle for November, aiming to push the national handle for the month beyond $10 billion for the first time. However, specific data for December 2022, including Arizona and Illinois, remains unreported.
