Illinois bettors plunked down more than $1 billion on sports in October, a new record for the state’s young sports betting industry and one of the highest monthly figures recorded anywhere in the U.S. since the industry was legalized, gambling regulators announced Thursday.
The staggering monthly handle — the total amount of money wagered — cements Illinois’ status as one of the nation’s most bet-hungry sports markets, joining New York, New Jersey and Nevada as the only states to cross the billion-dollar mark in a single month.
The overall house earnings for the month generated about $15 million in state tax revenue and another roughly $1 million for Cook County government.Illinoisans have now wagered almost $17 billion on sports since the industry launched in the state just a few days before the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020.
The October betting numbers — the most recent available from the gaming board — were boosted largely by the first full month of NFL games. Football was the most popular sport to bet on, with a handle of $358 million, followed by basketball and tennis . Sports betting was legalized as part of a massive gambling expansion signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2019.
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