Illinois Sports Betting 2nd in Handle for April at $633.6M Wagered
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The Illinois April sports betting numbers are in, and the state had the second-best month in the industry across all US markets. The total sports betting handle for April was $537.2 million.
Illinois, like nearly every other US state, saw a big decline in the sports betting numbers after the NCAA Tournament provided a huge boost in March. The March sports betting handle in Illinois was $633.6 million, more than 15% higher than it was in April.
The sports betting revenue in April was $43.6 million, only a slight decrease from the March revenue total of $44.3 million. The state collected $7.1 million in tax revenue in April, and that is a number that continues to grow in the state.
Online betting accounted for $513.4 million of the total handle in April, as that continues to be the most popular form of betting in the state.
What’s Happened to Nevada?
Nevada was once the only sports betting option in the United States, but it has not been able to keep up with the rapid growth of the industry. Not only did Illinois pass up Nevada in April, but Pennsylvania did as well.
Nevada had a total sports betting handle of just $458.2 million in April, a drop of nearly 30 percent from March. Pennsylvania was able to slip past Nevada with a total handle of $479.4 million, even though that state saw a decrease of 14.4 percent.
New Jersey remains the clear sports betting leader in the United States, bringing in more than $748 million in wagers in April.
Remote Registration Out, College Betting In
The Illinois sports betting industry has seen some big changes over the last two months, and two new laws should have an impact on the industry. A lack of action from the governor could hurt the overall numbers, while work from legislators will open up new betting markets.
Governor J.B. Pritzker let Executive Order 2020-41 expire at the beginning of April, and this will hurt the number of new accounts created in the state. This order allowed for remote registration in the state, but in-person registration is now required until January 1, 2022.
Lawmakers were able to pass Senate Bill 521, and that allows sportsbooks to begin accepting wagers on in-state college events. This bill brought up plenty of debate, but ultimately pre-game wagers were approved beginning in July.
DraftKings Making a Move
DraftKings is one of the online market leaders in Illinois, but the company is looking to increase retail handle and revenue. The DraftKings Sportsbook at Casino Queen is getting a $10 million upgrade in East St. Louis.
The St. Louis metro region is home to three sportsbooks on the Illinois side of the border, and that has created plenty of competition. A brand new sportsbook will be built at DraftKings, and new dining options will also become available.
Retail sports betting numbers are expected to improve with the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions and the return of in-person registration.