Illinois Releases Lukewarm Sports Betting Handle In April But Manages To Become No. 2 In US

In April, Illinois recorded a sports betting handle of$ 537.2 million, which is nearly$ 100 million less than the Illinois Gaming Board’s report from March.

The observed decline in legal sports gambling in most states during April was expected. This is typically a slower period for sports betting as there are no events like March Madness or soccer games on the schedule.

Additionally, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker allowed the online sportsbook registration to expire in April, a factor that played into the disappointing figures. The total handle was inevitably going to be less in April compared to March, but the absence of new customers only served to further suppress the market.

In April, sportsbooks in Illinois profited $42 million. This resulted in an increase of $6.54 million in tax revenue for the state.

Even though it had a slow month, Illinois still managed to secure second place among all US states, beating both Nevada and Pennsylvania.

Even with questionable plan choices, the Land of Lincoln remains a popular location for sports betting.

Betting numbers for Illinois’ April income

FanDuel Illinois surpassed DraftKings for the first time, leading the state’s sportsbooks in handle.

Here’s a detailed analysis of the report:

Licensee	Online Company	Complete Manage	Handle Online	Shop Handle	Income overall	Express levy	Nearby Excise Income
Park Fairmount	FanDuel	$177,496,601	$176,922,094	$574,507	$15,494,422	$2,372,601.15	$196,528.02
King of the Casino	DraftKings	$169,574,888	$165,385,155	$4,189,733	$11,956,629	$1,831,920.30	$119,829.54
Rivers	BetRivers	$84,299,434	$72,323,326	$11,976,108	$7,936,478	$1,233,864.94	$114,520.79
Aurora in Hollywood	Barstool	$51,377,580	$50,330,128	$1,047,452	$3,324,995	$589,958.30	$37,134.36
Hawthorne	PointsBet	$41,250,036	$40,052,041	$1,197,995	$2,745,584	$433,371.98	$54,132.55
Victoria the Great	John Hill	$8,829,695	$8,233,187	$596,508	$190,745	$11,494.00	$4,383.25
Argosy	N/A	$3,098,881	$0	$3,098,881	$206,412	$28,615.44	$0
Joliet from Hollywood	N/A	$976,800	$0	$976,800	$163,817	$22,145.97	$0
Par-A-Dice	FanDuel	$254,636	$0	$254,636	$-49,777	$16,916.84	$571.46
Total		$537,158,551	$513,245,932	$23,912,620	$41,969,307	$6,540,888.92	$527,099.97

PointsBet fell to fifth place, losing to Barstool which claimed the fourth position in control. Barstool was previously second in March but was only active for two-thirds of the quarter, making their win somewhat expected.

However, as long as in-person registration continues, it is probably the limit for Barstool in the short term. There is a significant difference between Barstool and BetRivers for the No. 3 position.

Referring to BetRivers, it is predominantly benefited from physical memberships. This feature is unique to Rivers Casino, ideally located in Chicago. Furthermore, despite making progress against competitors like DraftKings and FanDuel, it achieved more control and revenue in March than in April.

The situation is predominantly resulting from the activities in the environment. Although the lack of online registration might potentially boost BetRivers’ status in Illinois, it doesn’t necessarily ensure an expansion of its business in a vacant space.

When might an net membership be refunded?

The legislative period in May has passed and the lawmakers did not tackle the requirement for in-person registration.

Hence, it is here to stay at least until 2022. Illinois will revert to online sign-ups only when the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) issues a mobile-only license.

That won’t happen until at least 2022. Programs might be available in December 2021.

The following question will be, “Will individuals bid on a license that is solely for use on mobile devices?”

Major industry players such as DraftKings and FanDuel already hold significant market shares, with each costing $20 million. Smart licenses were designed to appeal to these two giants.

However, a few people are interested in applying for mobile-only licenses.

Golden Nugget has intriguingly announced its intentions to launch in Illinois in the last quarter of 2021. However, its entry route into the market is uncertain, unless it intends to pursue a mobile-only license.

It’s peculiar that BetMGM and Unibet have been receiving sports betting applications for some time now. It’s plausible that the IGB is fumbling, or it could be that either or both of these two entities are eagerly seeking a license exclusive to mobile devices.

Unibet confirmed that Pritzker’s reversal has affected its plans for a state launch timeline, as reported by Play Illinois in April, but BetMGM has not made any comments.