Illinois sports betting numbers took an expected dip in April following a record-breaking month in March. But the numbers were incredibly strong, all things considered.

The decline is attributed to: no NFL games to bet on; the absence of Chicago teams in both the NBA and NHL playoffs; [and] only the Final Four and championship games of the NCAA basketball tournaments being played in April.

Strong betting on the men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments is believed to have been the catalyst behind March being the best Illinois sports betting month in history.

Numbers released [Monday] by the Illinois Gaming Board show Illinois sports betting sites had total bets of just shy of $900 million in April.