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PlayIllinois.com: Sports betting slows, but Illinois quickest ever to $5 billion in wagering

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Illinois sportsbooks

 

Wagering at Illinois sportsbooks slowed in June to below $500 million for the first time since December 2020 while revenue once again surged, as the effects of summer’s sports calendar and in-person registration requirements continued to be felt. Even as the Prairie State remains in line with trends seen in most major U.S. markets, Illinois managed to reach $5 billion in lifetime handle quicker than any market in U.S. history, according to analysts from PlayIllinois, which tracks the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.

“Illinois sportsbooks is very much continuing down the same path as most major U.S. markets in June, with revenue surging despite the seasonal headwinds working to keep handle down,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayIllinois.com. “Fortunately for them, sportsbooks only have to endure one more month of sluggish action before the fall sports season reignites the industry.”

Illinois’ retail and online sportsbooks took in $476.5 million in wagers in June, down 6.1% from $507.3 million in May, according to official data released Thursday. That is the lowest handle in the state since sportsbooks collected $449.2 million in November 2020. The day-by-day pace of betting slowed to $15.9 million over the 30 days of June, which was down from $16.9 million per day in May.

The month’s handle placed Illinois No. 3 in the U.S. in June, behind New Jersey ($766.9 million) and Nevada ($545.5 million), but ahead of Pennsylvania ($420.2 million). More impressive, though, June’s handle pushed the lifetime total for the state to $5.1 billion. Illinois is just the fourth state to reach $5 billion, and the state’s sportsbooks did it in 16 months, breaking New Jersey’s record of 18 months.

“Even with all the twists and turns over the last year, namely the back-and-forth with in-person registration requirements and pandemic restrictions, Illinois continues to break new ground,” said Joe Boozell, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “Illinois bettors remain highly engaged, keeping the state entrenched among the nation’s sports betting heavyweights like Nevada and New Jersey.”

As June’s handle fell, gross gaming revenue rose 31.8% to $48.2 million from $36.6 million in May. That is the third highest revenue total in state history, only surpassed by the record $49.9 million set in March and $49.4 million in January. July’s gross revenue produced $47.5 million in adjusted gross revenue, yielding $7.7 million in state and local taxes.

The revenue jump is a product of the way bettors tend to engage with summer sports.

Basketball remained the top sport, attracting $126.9 million in bets, which was down from $154.3 million in wagering in May. Baseball betting remained relatively flat, producing $126.7 million in bets, up from $126.1 million in May.

Meanwhile, parlay bets swelled to $101.1 million in bets, generating a whopping $22.8 million in revenue for sportsbooks. Tennis jumped to $40.3 million in wagers from $32.6 million in May.

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“Bettors interact with individual sports like golf and tennis differently than major U.S. team sports like football, placing more futures bets and single-game parlay bets that carry lower odds to win,” Ramsey said. “For sportsbooks those bets are particularly important during the summer when volume drops. And it puts sportsbooks in an excellent position as football season approaches.”

$451.7 million, or 94.8%, of June’s bets were made online. DraftKings/Casino Queen remained in the market lead with $160.2 million in combined online and retail handle, down from $170.1 million in May. June’s handle included $157.1 million of online bets and $14.0 million in gross gaming revenue.

FanDuel’s online and retail sportsbooks attracted $156.3 million in bets in June, which was flat from May. The month’s bets, $155.3 million of which came online, generated a market-leading $20.3 million in gross gaming revenue.

BetRivers/Rivers Casino rose to $83.2 million in combined handle, including $71.2 million in online wagering. That led to $7.5 million in gross gaming revenue.

The leaders were followed by:

  • PointsBet/Hawthorne Race Course ($35.6 million in wagers, including $33.6 million online; $3.4 million in revenue)
  • Barstool/Hollywood Aurora ($30.4 million in wagers, including $28.7 million online; $2.1 million in revenue)
  • William Hill/Grand Victoria ($6.6 million in wagers, including $5.9 million online; $504,006 in revenue)
  • Argosy ($2.7 million in retail wagers; $359,010 in revenue)
  • Hollywood Joliet ($1.2 million in wagers; $95,949 in revenue)
  • Par-A-Dice ($360,804 in wagers; -$69,131 in revenue)

The fight for market share was largely static in June. This as lawmakers continue to grapple with in-person registration requirements and a $20 million licensing fee for online-only operators.

“Without a legislative fix, in-person registration will continue to be an issue that alters the market,” Boozell said. “Worse, if no operator pays the hefty online-only fee when those licenses become available in December it could make in-person registration permanent. We will see if legislators are able to either lower the price of the online-only licenses to make them more attractive or make it so that the online-only licenses aren’t the trigger for remote registration.”

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ZITRO’S CONCEPT CABINET MAKES #1 DEBUT IN US EILERS-FANTINI REPORT

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Zitro continues to raise the bar in slot performance, with its CONCEPT cabinet debuting as the #1-ranking cabinet among US emerging suppliers in the July 2025 Eilers-Fantini Cabinet Performance Report.

This milestone underscores Zitro’s growing presence in the North American market and reflects strong operator demand for innovative form factors paired with high-performing content.

Further building on this momentum, Zitro’s latest title, Legendary Sword, has joined the Top Indexing NEW Games – Core, Video ranking, highlighting the company’s strength in delivering compelling game experiences that resonate with players.

“Our consistent focus on innovation and quality is what drives Zitro forward,” said Johnny Ortiz, Founder of Zitro. “This is a proud moment for us and every team member behind the CONCEPT cabinet. We’ve always believed our products could stand alongside the industry’s best — and seeing CONCEPT debut at #1 confirms that operators and players believe it too. And this is just the beginning of what we have in store for the market.”

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Conferences

Andrew Cardno to Present on Resilient Casino Strategies at the 2025 Casino Marketing & Technology Conference

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Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) is proud to announce that Andrew Cardno, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, will be a featured speaker at the upcoming Casino Marketing & Technology Conference (CMTC), taking place July 29–30, 2025, at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

Cardno’s session, titled “Effective Database Strategies To Help Casinos Prosper During Tough Economic Times,” will be held on July 30 from 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM on the Summit Mainstage.

In this timely presentation, Cardno will explore how traditional KPIs lose value during economic downturns and what database strategies actually work when markets shift. Drawing on his deep expertise and lessons learned from the 2008 financial crisis, Cardno will offer insight into how casinos can build decision agility, redefine success metrics, and adapt their business models in volatile environments.

“Andrew is a dynamic and forward-thinking speaker whose sessions are always among the most anticipated at CMTC,” said Deana Scott, CEO of Raving“His ability to translate complex data strategies into practical solutions has helped countless operators improve performance, especially during times of uncertainty. We’re thrilled to have him back on the mainstage this year.”

In addition to Cardno’s session, the QCI team will be exhibiting at Booth #12–14, where attendees can explore private demos of the QCI Enterprise Platform, including Chatalytics™, QCI Host®, QCI Player™, and QCI Marketing®.

Also on display will be the newly released Book 12 of The Math That Gaming Made, Compendium—a full-color edition co-authored by Andrew Cardno and Dr. Ralph Thomas, offering a deep dive into data activation, AI, and casino optimization strategies.

QCI invites all CMTC attendees to visit the booth, meet with our team and see a live demo.

The Casino Marketing & Technology Conference is renowned for bringing together industry leaders and professionals to share knowledge, discuss trends, and explore the future of the gaming industry. Andrew Cardno’s session is set to be one of the highlights of the event, offering attendees a unique opportunity to learn from one of the industry’s foremost experts.

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Zenith offers LatAm unbeatable rates for PGSoft games

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Zenith offers LatAm unbeatable rates for PGSoft games

 

Asia’s award-winning B2B provider to offer LatAm some of best commercial terms available

Zenith, Asia’s premier iGaming platform provider and a leading B2B ecosystem enabler, has today announced a pivotal move set to transform the iGaming landscape across the world: the provision of PGSoft games at unbeatable rates via its award-winning OneAPI platform and a direct integration through GamesAPI.

As the world’s largest distributor of PGSoft games, Zenith’s position means it can leverage the most competitive commercial terms for operators throughout the LatAm continent.

This strategic initiative directly addresses the soaring demand for PGSoft titles, which have become immensely popular in the region, with fan favourites like Fortune Tiger dominating engagement charts, particularly in Brazil.

PGSoft’s portfolio resonates deeply with LatAm players due to its mobile-first design, culturally relevant themes, and engaging gameplay mechanics. By offering these high-demand games at unrivalled rates, Zenith empowers its partners to significantly boost player acquisition and retention, thereby accelerating their revenue generation in a highly competitive market.

Zenith’s latest strategic offering underscores the provider’s rapid and sustained expansion across Latin America, building on recent, significant partnerships. Zenith’s OneAPI platform, recognised as SiGMA Asia’s Best Aggregator in both 2023 and 2025, provides a seamless, single-integration gateway to an expansive library of over 10,000 games from 150+ global and local studios.

This comprehensive solution, bolstered by Zenith’s robust, localised server infrastructure across LatAm, ensures optimal performance, minimal latency, and a superior player experience for even the most popular and high-traffic titles.

Karina Moral, Senior Business Development Manager at Zenith, commented: “As the world’s largest distributor of PGSoft games, we’re now able to offer truly unbeatable rates to our LatAm partners via both OneAPI and GamesAPI.

“This is a game-changer, giving operators direct access to incredibly popular content at the best commercial terms on the continent. Combined with our robust localised infrastructure and recent partnerships like CP Games and Jugamax, Zenith is firmly committed to driving sustainable growth across Latin America.”

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As Zenith continues to deepen its footprint in Latin America, it remains dedicated to delivering a comprehensive, end-to-end ecosystem of solutions tailored to the unique dynamics of the region’s diverse markets.

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