With an Illinois sports betting handle of nearly $600 million in September, the state currently sits third behind New Jersey and Nevada for the month.
New Jersey became the first state to top $1 billion in September and Nevada took in $786.5 million, both records for those states. The $596.4 million posted by Illinois topped Pennsylvania’s $578.8 million. They were the second-highest months recorded in Illinois and Pennsylvania.
CHECK OUT: How Do Bears Fans Feel About Possible Move Out of Chicago?
The Illinois total handle was up 49% from August’s $400.4 million. Total wagering for the month was boosted by NFL betting.
Illinois Sports Betting Handle, September vs. August
| Total handle | Mobile Handle | Revenue |
|---|
| September | $596.496M | $569.899M | $39.991M |
| August | $400.360M | $380.217M | $26.849M |
| Change | Up 49.0% | Up 49.9% | Up 48.9% |
Must be 21+ and physically present in AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY or Washington, DC. New users only. Must register using eligible promo code. First wager after registration must qualify. Min. Odds: -500. Max. Bonus Bet: $250. Awarded as non-withdrawable Bonus Bet that expires 14 days after receipt. Bonus Bet amount not returned for winning bets. Void where prohibited. See http://Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Know When To Stop Before You Start®. Gambling Problem? CO, IL, KY, MD, MI, MO, NJ, OH, TN, VA, WV, WY, KS (Affiliated with Kansas Crossing Casino), ME (Licensed through the Mi’kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, federally recognized tribes located in the State of Maine), NC (Licensed through Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise), PA (Affiliated with Harrah's Philadelphia): If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or MD: visit http://mdgamblinghelp.org or WV: visit http://1800gambler.net ; AZ: Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP; IN: Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT; IA: Call 1-800-BETSOFF; LA (Licensed through Horseshoe Bossier City and Caesars New Orleans), Washington, DC (OLG Class A licensed Operator): Call 1-800-522-4700. ©2025, Caesars Entertainment Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER DC, LA: Call 1-800-522-4700 MA: Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit http://gamblinghelplinema.org NY: Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369)
Here are three key takeaways about Illinois gambling from the September sports wagering report, released by the Illinois Gaming Board.
Football Rules
No one can deny the pull of NFL betting. In Illinois in September, it accounted for $230.6 million of the total handle or about 39%. The Chicago Bears play Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Parlay bets also proved to be popular, with $125.7 million wagered. Baseball betting came in at just under $116 million.
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR) 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in DC, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.
US Tops $5B for September
The total from Illinois put the U.S. over $5 billion (about $5.2 billion) in total handle in September with one big state still left to report — Arizona (Connecticut also has a few days of September retail sports betting to report). It didn’t hurt that New Jersey and Nevada had about $1.8 billion combined.
The U.S. was just over $3 billion in August. Illinois is no longer the last state to report monthly sports betting figures. Arizona, which launched its market on Sept. 9, says it won’t have September numbers until Nov. 25.
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit http://gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Token expires 1/11/26. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: http://sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos . Ends 1/4/26 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.
In-Person Registration Ending
What’s impressive about the Illinois numbers is that in-person registration is still in effect. Just Illinois and Nevada require bettors to finish their registration at casinos. In Illinois that will end no later than March 5, 2022.
A bill that ends the in-person registration requirement was approved by the Illinois legislature at the end of October during a special veto session. HB 3136 also allows for limited wagering on state college teams and adds the home of the WNBA champions as a sports betting venue.
The Illinois September mobile sports betting handle was $569.9 million or 95.5% of the market.
Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs apply.
![quote]( "quote")
