Michigan’s Thriving Market Gives Idea Of How Profitable Online Casino In Illinois Could Be

Written By Joe Boozell on April 23, 2021Last Updated on April 30, 2021
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Online casino operators in Michigan raked in a staggering $95.1 million in March, a noteworthy achievement given the market’s infancy. This demonstrates that an online casino market can prosper right off the bat, and “prosper” might be putting it mildly.

Could Illinois be next? We are aware that legislation regarding internet gaming is pending.

Committee hearings on “gaming proposals” are scheduled for April 28 and April 30.

Many topics have the potential to be discussed, from the reintroduction of in-person sports betting registration to the reconsideration of betting on in-state college teams.

Consideration could also be given to online games. If online casinos are legalized in Illinois, we should prepare for potentially significant quarterly profit numbers.

comprehensive policy

Here’s Who Supports and Opposes Major Gaming Proposals in Illinois: Several gaming legislation pieces are currently pending in Illinois. Let’s look at who’s advocating for and against these proposals.

Teaching about where the real money is and why it’s not sports betting

In February, Illinois was ranked as the top state. There are three regulated sports betting markets in the US. We anticipate maintaining the same level in March.

Setting aside the issues with in-person registration, sports betting in Illinois has been successful so far.

In the last two Illinois Gaming Board reports, the sports wagering handle of Illinois has surpassed $500 million and is expected to do so again in March. However, the highest monthly profit ever recorded by sports betting operators in Illinois is $49.4 million.

That represents slightly more than half of the revenue generated by Michigan online casinos in their second full month.

This directly affects tax revenue: MI online gambling garnered $17.3 million in state and local tax in March. On the other hand, Illinois sports betting has never exceeded $8 million in monthly tax revenue.

None of this is shocking for those who pay close attention. However, it serves as a reminder of where to look for real money.

It’s clear that comparing sports betting in Illinois to virtual casinos in Michigan is like comparing apples to oranges. However, by comparing sports betting in Michigan to sports gambling in Illinois, we can gain a clearer perspective on the potential strength of a virtual casino market in Illinois.

The sports betting industry in Illinois is bigger than in Michigan.

Nevertheless, it’s crucial to highlight that the sports betting market in Illinois is somewhat more advanced than that of Michigan’s, resulting in higher figures.

In February, sports betting amounted to $509.8 million for Illinoisans and $325.6 million for Michiganders.

In March, the sports betting handle in Michigan reached $383.7 million. Although we do not yet have the figures for Illinois in March, preliminary totals from March Madness betting suggest that the month’s total could exceed $550 million, and this is a cautious estimate.

This is all understandable once again. Illinois ranks as the sixth most populous state in the US, whereas Michigan is in the tenth position.

Hence, if all other factors are standard, internet casino operators in Illinois could feasibly generate $100 million per month quite rapidly.

Of course, the parameters are unlikely to be popular.

There is also a physical membership need for online casinos.

There is no requirement for in-person membership for enrolling in Michigan’s online casinos. On the other hand, Illinois’ Internet Gaming Act proposes a six-month in-person registration requirement.

Because the end of it is still unknown, it is not as limiting as the version of sports betting. However, this suggests that the Illinois industry may not grow as rapidly as that of Michigan.

We also don’t know how many licensed casino operators would be ready at the time of Illinois’s hypothetical launch.

In March, Michigan had 11 operators for virtual blackjack. HB 3142 in Illinois allows for a maximum of 36 skins, however, it is evident that there wouldn’t be nearly that many operators immediately.

It’s probable that the most popular casino games in Illinois would be available, similar to Michigan.

We still have much to understand about the possible execution of online casinos in Illinois. Despite the obstacle of in-person registration, it appears that there are no other limitations to virtual casino gambling in this state.

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Boozell, Joe

Joe Boozell has been a college sports writer for NCAA.com since 2015. His articles have also been featured on Bleacher Report, FoxSports.com, and NBA.com. During his younger years, Boozell played basketball against both Anthony Davis and Frank Kaminsky in the Chicago area – and you can probably guess the outcome of those games.

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