Illinois gamblers cut back again on their sports betting in May, as both the state’s handle and revenue took a hit.
The Illinois Gaming Board reported Tuesday that the state’s sports-wagering handle for May was approximately $507.3 million, the second straight monthly decline after April’s almost $537.2 million in wagers and March’s $633.6 million.
Statewide sports betting revenue was also down in May, sliding to $36.2 million for the month and making the operators’ hold around 7.1 percent. Tax collected from Illinois sportsbooks in May was approximately $5.8 million.
The top sportsbook in the state in May was DraftKings, with a total handle of $170.1 million in online and in-person wagers. FanDuel finished second with a handle of about $156.3 million.
Betting on school still out
Illinois has both retail and online sports betting in the state. Nevertheless, bettors must register in person at a physical sportsbook before they can conduct any mobile wagering.
Most of the action in May once again came in on professional sports, which claimed approximately $505.8 million in bets, or nearly all of the state’s handle for May.
Illinois bettors are still prohibited from wagering on the state’s college teams, although there is a bill slowly making its way around Springfield that could change that fact if it ever becomes law.
If Senate Bill 521 were to eventually pass, it would act as something of a trial balloon, as it would allow Illinois bettors to wager on the state’s college teams until July 1, 2023. There would be restrictions on those wagers as well, namely that they would have to be made in person, before the game starts, and “determined solely by the final score or final outcome” of that event.
