Play'n GO new release Crabby's Gold
Connect with us
Play'n GO new release Crabby's Gold

Press Releases

PlayIllinois.com: Sports betting hits 10-month low in July

Published

on

Illinois sportsbooks

 

The volume of sports betting in Illinois further slowed in July, slumping to the lowest level in the state since September 2020 with $369 million in online and retail wagering. July typically marks the end of the seasonal slowdown that affects every major U.S. sports betting market, but in-person registration requirements in Illinois could dampen the football-fueled ramp up that other states will enjoy, according to PlayIllinois, which tracks the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.

“Illinois sportsbooks will not be able to take full advantage of the customer acquisition phase that comes with the beginning of every football season, which is vital for the growth of the industry,” said Joe Boozell, lead analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “Because in-person registration was reinstated in April at the beginning of the slow season in sports betting, the industry has skirted the most severe effects of the state rule. But there will be no hiding from it during football season.”

Bettors made $369.1 million in wagers at Illinois’ retail and online sportsbooks in July, down 22.5% from $476.5 million in June, according to official data released Thursday. The day-by-day pace of betting fell to $11.9 million over the 31 days of July from $15.9 million over the 30 days of June.

Year over year, handle was up 603% from $52.5 million in July 2020, a month that marked the relaunch of sports betting in the state after the pandemic-related shutdown of major U.S. sports. July is typically the slowest betting month of the year in the U.S., marking the low point in U.S. betting in 2018, 2019, and now in 2021. Despite the slowdown, Illinois remained No. 3 in July in terms of betting volume, surpassed only by New Jersey ($578.7 million) and Nevada ($409.9 million).

Accordingly, gross gaming revenue fell 22.6% to $37.3 million from $48.2 million in June. That produced $37.6 million in adjusted gross revenue, yielding $6.1 million in state and local taxes. At 10.1%, the market’s hold, which is the percentage sportsbooks keep after paying out winning bets, remains relatively high.

“July features fewer prime betting opportunities and casual bettors are more occupied with vacations and other activities, and there isn’t much sportsbooks can do about that,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for the PlayUSA.com network, which includes PlayIllinois.com. “Illinois sportsbooks have done well by increasing their hold over the summer months, which puts operators in a good position as casual bettors return.”

Baseball was the most bet-on sport for the first time this year, drawing $124.0 million of action in July. That was down from $126.7 million in June, even with the excitement over the success of the Chicago White Sox. The NBA Finals fueled $42.5 million in basketball betting, down from $126.9 million in June. Parlay betting ($79.7 million), tennis ($43.9 million), and soccer ($34.1 million) all contributed significantly to July’s handle, too.

July also marked the first time Olympics betting was made possible, not just in Illinois but in most legal markets in the U.S. Although Illinois does not report bets specific to the Olympics, anecdotally, it appears that the events in Japan did not draw widespread interest.

“With events held in the middle of the night in many cases and sports that are a bit unfamiliar to bettors, the Olympics did not appear to draw a lot of wagering,” Ramsey said. “In the end, the traditional team sports are still by far the largest draw for bettors, which is why football is so important for sportsbooks.”

Advertisement
Stake - Best Online Casino & Sports Betting Platform

July’s wagering included $351.4 million in online bets, or 95.2% of the wagers made during the month. DraftKings/Casino Queen topped Illinois again with $122.7 million in combined online and retail handle, down from $160.2 million in June, and $120.5 million of July’s bets came online. In all, DraftKings generated $9.5 million in gross gaming revenue.

FanDuel was not far behind with $118.5 million in online and retail wagers, down from $156.3 million in bets in June. $118.0 million of July’s betting came online. It all resulted in a market-topping $15.5 million in gross gaming revenue.

The leaders were followed by:

  • BetRivers/Rivers Casino ($68.0 million in wagers, including $58.7 million online; $6.1 million in revenue)
  • PointsBet/Hawthorne Race Course ($28.5 million in wagers, including $26.9 million online; $2.7 million in revenue)
  • Barstool/Hollywood Aurora ($23.5 million in wagers, including $22.7 million online; $2.2 million in revenue)
  • Caesars by William Hill/Grand Victoria ($5.3 million in wagers, including $4.6 million online; $853,946 in revenue)
  • Argosy ($1.7 million in retail wagers; $334,226 in revenue)
  • Hollywood Joliet ($638,683 in wagers; $107,897 in revenue)
  • Par-A-Dice ($287,446 in wagers; -$16,491 in revenue)

“FanDuel continues to wring out an impressive amount of revenue from the bets it takes in,” Boozell said. “DraftKings answered with Same Game Parlays, which could help bridge the revenue gap with FanDuel. That fierce competition between the two market leaders will only grow during football season, with younger operators limited in their ability to make significant gains on the leaders with in-person registration in place.”

For more revenue information, visit PlayIllinois.com/revenue.

Latest News

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

Published

on

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.”

Continue Reading

Conferences

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Zenith offers LatAm unbeatable rates for PGSoft games

Published

on

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.”

Advertisement
Stake - Best Online Casino & Sports Betting Platform

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.

Continue Reading

Trending

GamingAmericas.com (part of HIPTHER) is your one-stop portal for the latest news, insights, and analyses in the gaming industry across the Americas. From legislative updates and market trends to interviews with industry leaders, we provide a comprehensive look at the dynamic landscape of both online and land-based gaming. Whether you're a stakeholder looking to stay ahead of the curve or a gaming enthusiast eager for reliable updates, GamingAmericas.com has got you covered. Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for real-time updates and exclusive content. Make informed decisions and stay ahead in the game with GamingAmericas.com.

Disclaimer: All the information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always check your local laws before participating in any gaming activities.

Copyright © 2018 – 2025, HIPTHER. All Rights Reserved.