The state made about $40 million in revenue from the popular activity in December.
Illinois ended the year on a high note, with $789.6 million in handle, pushing the state’s annual sports betting total beyond $7 billion.
With a packed NFL schedule attracting bettors to online and retail sportsbooks in droves, the final month of the year continued a very busy period in sports betting across the country.
Overall, December was a good month for sports betting, with handling up 61 percent year over year, topping November’s stats but falling short of October’s $840.4 million in wagers. However, bettors wagered $25.5 million per day on average, down from $26 million in November.
In the final month of the year, gross gaming revenue was down 53 percent from November, coming in at $36.7 million. State and local taxes totaled $5.4 million as a result of these profits.
In December, online sports betting dominated the Prairie State, accounting for 95 percent of all wagers.
These remarkable figures were aided by a strong football season, which brought in $265.7 million in wagers. Basketball, on the other hand, had a good month, with a total handle of $226.4 million.
With its collaboration with Casino Queen, DraftKings maintained its position as the state’s biggest sportsbook, generating $295 million in retail and online handle. FanDuel came in second with about $40 million less. However, with a state-best $13.9 million in revenue, the operator won the month.
With BetMGM’s new approval for business, there will soon be another competition in the state.
Only New Jersey and Nevada overtake Illinois as the third-largest state in terms of sports betting handle at the end of 2021. When compared to 2020, revenue climbed by more over $130 million, while taxes soared fourfold.