The Illinois Gaming Board reported late Thursday traditional sports wagering handle totaling $679.4 million for the month of February, a 21.8% drop from the record $867.5 million wagered in January.
Month-over-month dips in handle for the month of February are commonplace with three fewer days of wagering plus the Super Bowl being the lone NFL game (aside from the Pro Bowl). This year’s decline, however, was far sharper than the 12.3% falloff from January to February in 2021. Despite the drop in wagering, Illinois joined New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania as the only states to surpass $10 billion in all-time handle in the post-PASPA era.
Revenue also took a tumble, with the $35.6 million in adjusted revenue for operators barely more than half January’s haul of $66.2 million.