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ILLINOIS SPORTSBOOKS HIT RECORD $840 MILLION IN BETS IN OCTOBER Football, basketball betting spurs records for handle, revenue, and tax revenue as end of in-person registration requirements approaches, according to PlayIllinois

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ILLINOIS SPORTSBOOKS HIT RECORD $840 MILLION IN BETS IN OCTOBER Football, basketball betting spurs records for handle, revenue, and tax revenue as end of in-person registration requirements approaches, according to PlayIllinois

 

Illinois sportsbooks reached a new monthly record for wagering and revenue for the first time since the reinstatement of in-person registration. With more than $840 million in wagers, Illinois joined the top 18 legal sports betting markets in the U.S. that — using five weekends of football, the opening of the NBA season, and baseball’s postseason — set a market wagering record in October, according to PlayIllinois, which tracks the state’s regulated sports betting market.

“A calendar with an extra weekend of NFL and college football, the opening of the NBA and NHL seasons, and baseball’s postseason was always going to bring more action than a quieter month,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayIllinois.com. “Regardless, a new high highlights the continued strength of Illinois’ market, and it should grow even stronger in the coming months.”

Retail and online sportsbooks combined to handle $840.4 million in wagers in October, shattering the record of $633.6 million set in March, according to official data released Tuesday. Wagers were up 40.9% from $596.5 million in September and up 93.4% from $434.6 million in October 2020, as betting in October hastened to $27.1 million per day from $19.9 million per day in the previous month.

Gross revenue rose 2.9% to $48.3 million in October from $47.0 million in October 2020 and up 8.4% from $44.6 million in September. October’s revenue still fell short of the record $49.9 million in gross revenue set in March. Taxable revenue did reach an all-time high, though, to $52.6 million in adjusted gross revenue, yielding $8.5 million in state and local taxes.

The record handle and revenue was good news for Illinois’ sportsbooks, which after the return of in-person online registration in April had not reached the highs seen in the months before. Illinois ranked No. 3 in March among all U.S. markets with $633.6 million in wagers, behind only New Jersey ($859.6 million) and Nevada ($640.8 million). Illinois still ranked No. 3 in October, but has lost ground to New Jersey ($1.3 billion) and Nevada ($1.1 billion) — the first two states to surpass $1 billion in wagers in a month.

But with HB 3136 awaiting signature, which would do away with in-person registration early next year, perhaps a $1 billion month could soon come to Illinois.

“The Illinois sports betting market is thriving in spite of the current online registration rules, so it’s exciting to imagine what it will look like when sportsbooks are untethered,” said Joe Boozell, lead analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “A surge of new operators will certainly come. And there are an untold number of Illinoisans sitting on the sidelines interested in making a bet through an online sportsbook, but not enough to make a trip to a retail sportsbook to register.” 

October’s growth was a direct result of the month’s busy sports calendar. Five weekends of football, including a Chicago Bears game each weekend, attracted $330.1 million in wagers on the sport. That is up from $230.6 million in September. The opening of the NBA season, including a hot start by the Chicago Bulls, drove $93.3 million in action. Meanwhile, baseball attracted $77.6 million in bets, followed by tennis ($53.4 million), and soccer ($36.2 million).

“The Bears’ struggles are dampening bettor enthusiasm somewhat, but NFL wagering isn’t dictated as much by the success of local teams as other sports,” Ramsey said. “The early success of the Bulls, however, and the short playoff run by the White Sox, were a definite help.” 

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Online betting accounted for $803.4 million of the wagers in October, or 95.6% of the state’s total handle. DraftKings/Casino Queen led the state with $315.3 million in combined online and retail handle, including $308.8 million in online wagers. The combined handle was up from $236.5 million in September and produced $11.7 million in gross revenue.

FanDuel was next with $236.7 million in online and retail wagers, including $235.4 million in online wagering. The combined handle was up from $156.2 million in September and created a market-best $22.3 million in gross revenue.

The leaders were followed by:

  • BetRivers/Rivers Casino ($135.7 million in wagers, including $119.0 million online; $8.0 million in revenue)
  • Barstool/Hollywood Aurora ($69.8 million in wagers, including $67.9 million online; $2.4 million in revenue)
  • PointsBet/Hawthorne Race Course ($62.4 million in wagers, including $59.6 million online; $2.8 million in revenue)
  • Caesars by William Hill/Grand Victoria ($14.0 million in wagers, including $12.7 million online; $593,941 in revenue)
  • Argosy ($4.0 million in retail wagers; $391,897 in revenue)
  • Hollywood Joliet ($1.8 million in retail wagers; $120,418 in revenue)
  • Par-A-Dice ($751,089 million in wagers; $43,120 in revenue)

“With only six in the state, Illinois is home to far fewer online sportsbook operators than any other major U.S. market,” Boozell said. “By next year, the number of online operators should grow well into the double-digits. An increase in competition would be hugely beneficial for bettors.”

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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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