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Illinois sports betting had a fantastic March, breaking the state record for the most handle (money bet) in a month and eclipsing $1 billion for the fifth time in the past six months.
Overall, the state’s 10 sportsbooks generated $1,072,701,361 in handle in March. Additionally, they logged $107.4 million in revenue. Both figures were significant jumps over February. Total handle was up 22.5% month on month, and revenue jumped 69.7%. Year on year, the handle was up 10.4%.
Additionally, the state’s average daily handle jumped from $31.3 million in February to $34.6 million in March, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board.
March Madness drives record handle, revenue numbers
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament drove Illinois’ unprecedented sports betting numbers in March.
| Month | Handle |
|---|---|
| March 2023 | $1.07 billion |
| February 2023 | $875.4 million |
| January 2023 | $1.07 billion |
| December 2022 | $1.03 billion |
| November 2022 | $1.03 billion |
| October 2022 | $1.03 billion |
| September 2022 | $831,805,990 |
| August 2022 | $564,837,409 |
| July 2022 | $516,414,719 |
| June 2022 | $628,459,522 |
| May 2022 | $764,591,757 |
| April 2022 | $839,386,882 |
| March 2022 | $971,278,389 |
| February 2022 | $679,374,199 |
| January 2022 | $867,505,495 |
In addition to breaking its handle record, the state’s sportsbooks passed $100 million in revenue for the first time in history. March’s $107.4 million in revenue broke the previous record of $96.9 million set in October 2022.
Fairmount Park and Casino Queen led the way
FanDuel Sportsbook at Fairmount Park and DraftKings at Casino Queen tallied the most revenue among Illinois sportsbooks. Both casinos brought in more than triple the next closest casino, Rivers Des Plaines:
| Casino | Handle | Revenue | Hold | Taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmount Park | $372,452,513 | $43,077,323 | 11.6% | $6,492,015 |
| DraftKings at Casino Queen | $334,935,998 | $31,330,487 | 9.4% | $4,452,582 |
| Rivers Des Plaines | $110,047,880 | $10,667,971 | 9.7% | $1,553,118 |
| Grand Victoria | $79,824,566 | $5,611,330 | 7.0% | $676,193 |
| Hawthorne | $60,651,638 | $6,864,533 | 11.3% | $1,045,771 |
| Par-A-Dice | $58,859,763 | $5,271,073 | 9.0% | $782,209 |
| Hollywood Aurora | $50,494,577 | $3,827,788 | 7.6% | $583,039 |
| Argosy | $3,895,597 | $568,491 | 14.6% | $46,209 |
| Hollywood Joliet | $1,538,829 | $204,418 | 13.3% | $19,849 |
| Totals | $1,072,701,361 | $107,423,414 | 10.0% | $15,650,984 |
Among the biggest winners for month-on-month handle growth were Grand Victoria Casino Elgin and Hollywood Aurora.
Grand Victoria’s Caesars Sportsbook generated $110.0 million in handle, up 45% over February. Hollywood Aurora’s Barstool Sportsbook saw a 50.2% increase in handle.
Fairmount Park’s FanDuel Sportsbook saw its handle increase 21.2% month-on-month, from $307.2 million in February to $372.5 in March.
Illinois sports betting handle remains second highest in the nation
The Prairie State notched the second-highest sports betting handle in March, once again outpacing New Jersey but remaining far behind New York:
- New York: $1.79 billion
- Illinois: $1.07 billion
- New Jersey: $1.03 billion
- Nevada: $829.8 million
- Ohio: $738.6 million
New York generates about $91 in handle from every person in the state, on average, according to the latest Census Bureau data. Illinois, on the other hand, generates around $85 per person.
