Illinois Smashed Sports Betting Handle Record in November

Illinois is now officially recognized as a legal sports betting jurisdiction with record-breaking wagering activity in November, thanks to the exceptional performance of our top sportsbooks.

On Tuesday, the Illinois Gaming Board published its November sports betting report, showing another record-breaking handle for the state’s legal sports wagering operators. This marked the third consecutive month in which Illinois sports betting apps exceeded previous records for monthly sports wagering activity.

Illinois made headlines in November with its sports betting figures, contributing to the U.S. legal sports betting industry exceeding $300 billion in lifetime handle since the Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2018.

Illinois contributed to the national total for November reaching a record $13.5 billion, while November figures from Arizona and Kentucky have not yet been reported.

$1.38 billion November handle

In the third consecutive month, Illinois sports bettors wagered an impressive $1.38 billion through both Illinois sports betting apps and retail providers, utilizing various Illinois sportsbook promotions. This marked a record-breaking sports wagering handle for the state’s sportsbooks.

The $1.38 billion in accepted wagers marks an 18.5% increase from the previous record of $1.16 billion in October and is nearly $300 million higher than the $1.08 billion in September. This also represents a 33.6% improvement from the almost $1.03 billion in accepted wagers from November 2026 on a year-over-year basis.

In the past 14 months of operation, Illinois sportsbooks have exceeded $1 billion in monthly sports wagers on eight occasions.

Illinois sportsbooks have recorded $10 billion in sports bets accepted during the initial 11 months of 2026.

Revenues disappoint

Illinois sports betting operators experienced a setback in November as revenues did not meet expectations. The main reason for the disappointing totals was a low hold rate of 5.3%, the seventh-lowest win rate since legalization over 3 1/2 years ago.

Illinois’ record sports wagering handle reported adjusted gross revenues of $72.7 million, marking a 35.5% decrease from the previous month’s record revenue of $112.7 million in October and a 25% drop from November 2026.

Nonetheless, net revenues in November generated $10.9 million in taxes. This is a decrease of over $7 million compared to October’s record $18.055 million, and a drop of more than $4.5 million compared to the nearly $15.6 million from November of last year.

Illinois state and local tax revenues totaled $131.1 million year-to-date, including November’s figures, which is $24.2 million higher than the amount collected during the same 11-month period last year.

FanDuel becomes first Illinois sportsbook to top $500 million in a month

In November, FanDuel Illinois stood out by becoming the first sportsbook in the state to surpass $500 million in monthly bets. The popular betting platform recorded $511.1 million in wagers, outpacing many other states. Despite a modest 4.5% hold, FanDuel managed to generate $23.2 million in profits.

DraftKings Illinois saw a total of $463.9 million in accepted bets in November, surpassing Illinois state revenues with $28.1 million thanks to a 6.1% hold. ESPN BET had the highest hold rate among Illinois sports betting apps at 9.4%, bringing in $7.5 million in revenues.

In November, BetRivers Illinois ranked third in terms of handle in Illinois, accepting $93.1 million in wagers. Following closely behind was ESPN Bet Illinois, coming in fourth with $81.1 million in bets.