In the latest gambling news, we are taking a look at one of the better-performing sports betting markets in the US. Illinois sportsbooks are on fire, sustaining a betting handle upwards of a billion dollars within a month. According to the Illinois Gaming Board, the total monthly betting handle of sportsbooks in the Land of Lincoln is $1.07 billion.
The feat is amazing on its own, but it also shows consistency in betting trends. This is the sixth straight month that sportsbooks in the state took in a 10-digit handle. They were able to manage this despite having just one game in football for the month- granted it was the Super Bowl.
Illinois Sportsbooks Numbers
The handle, high as it is, actually dropped by 20% from January. However, it is 22.3% higher than that of the same month last year, so there is remarkable year-on-year growth. This is an indicator that the market continues to grow, which means that you can earn a lot as a bookie with the best sportsbook pay per head software.
As for the revenue, sportsbooks in the state generated $83.5 million. This is 38% lower than January’s all-time best record of $134.9 million. But same as with the handle, there is a year-on-year increase from the same month last year by 22%. The drop could largely be due to the drop in the hold percentage, which dropped to a single-digit 7.8%. Looking at the numbers, football bettors won big in the Super Bowl, as sportsbooks took in a loss of $2.4 million on a $69.1 million handle.
Online sports betting is responsible for $1.04 billion on the handle, while retail betting reaches $29.4 million. Basketball is the most popular sport that people bet on. If you always check the latest sports news, you will have known that February’s basketball calendar is full with the NCAA postseason plus the NBA regular season as well. Basketball betting generated a $457 million handle, almost half of the total handle. If you want to earn from betting on these sports, opt for using an affordable bookie software, and open your very own online sportsbook.
