Press Releases
PlayIllinois.com: Sportsbooks post huge month, but March could be ‘last hurrah’ for major growth
Illinois sportsbooks set records for betting and revenue in March, easily reaching $600 million in monthly wagering for the first time and again surpassing Pennsylvania, a dramatic turn one year after the industry’s launch was spoiled by the pandemic-related shutdown of major U.S. sports. But as far as Illinois has come, the state’s newfound position as the nation’s No. 3 market could be short-lived as in-person registration requirements begin to take hold, said PlayIllinois, which analyzes and researches the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.
“March Madness helped deliver a huge month for Illinois, but March is essentially a ‘last hurrah’ for the state’s rapid growth,” said Joe Boozell, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “Illinois will still be one of the largest U.S. markets because of the population of the state, but it will be difficult to maintain its current status as the U.S. No. 3, much less catch Nevada. No matter how appealing a market, there isn’t any easy way to overcome the inconvenience of in-person registration.”
Spurred by March Madness, betting at Illinois’s retail and online sportsbooks surged to $633.6 million in March, according to official data released Monday. That is up 24.3% from $509.8 million in February and easily topped the previous record $581.6 million in January. Bettors placed $20.4 million per day in the 31 days of March, up from $18.2 million per day in February.
March’s high volume produced $49.9 million in operator revenue, up 64.6% from $30.3 million in February and narrowly topping the record $49.4 million in January. The month’s win created $44.3 million in taxable revenue, which yielded $6.6 million in state taxes and another $493,543 in local taxes.
Illinois surpassed Pennsylvania ($560.3 million) in monthly handle for the second straight month and gained ground on New Jersey ($859.6 million) and Nevada ($641 million). In doing so, the state surpassed $3 billion ($3.6 billion) in lifetime handle.
That stands in stark contrast to March 2020, when Illinois launched retail sportsbooks, taking in $997,739 in bets before a wave of sports cancellations essentially put a hold on sports betting in Illinois until July.
“The growth over the last year has been staggering, making Illinois the quickest to $3 billion in U.S. history,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIllinois. “The question now becomes what will happen when the brakes are hit on that growth? Does it alarm lawmakers enough to make a change? Or will Illinois be satisfied with where the sports betting market has been frozen in place?”
The NCAA Tournament was the main driver in March, generating an estimated $176.8 million in bets even as bettors were barred from wagering on Illinois and Loyola Chicago. The NBA also drew well, helping to push basketball betting to $365.7 million. The previous high for basketball in a month was $256.7 million.
Tennis also continues to do especially well in Illinois, hitting $47.2 million in wagering, the second-most wagered-on sport.
“Illinois has grown in some unique ways, but the state’s love of basketball has really carried the state over the last few months,” Boozell said. “If the ban on betting on in-state college teams didn’t exist, Illinois would have likely been the No. 2 market in the U.S. in March.”
Online wagering accounted for 96.1%, or $609 million, of all bets in March. Retail betting generated the remaining $24.6 million.
DraftKings/Casino Queen represented 32.2% of the state’s entire handle in March, generating $207.6 million in online and retail wagers, up from the operator’s $199.8 million handle in February. Nearly $203.9 million of March’s bets came online.
FanDuel/Fairmont attracted $195.2 million in bets — $194.9 million of which came online. BetRivers/Rivers Casino continued to lose pace with the market leaders, generating $95.7 million in online betting and $106.9 million overall, up from $86.9 million in February.
The leaders were followed by:
PointsBet/Hawthorne Race Course ($55 million in wagers, including $53.6 million online; $5.1 million in revenue)
Barstool/Hollywood Casinos ($48.9 million in wagers, including $47.8 million online; $1.1 million in revenue)
William Hill/Grand Victoria ($14.2 million in wagers, including $13.3 million online; -$270,456 in revenue)
Argosy ($4.1 million in wagers; $410,477 in revenue)
Hollywood Joliet ($1.2 million in wagers; $127,344 in revenue)
Par-A-Dice ($628,286 in wagers; -$163,180 in revenue)
“One of the biggest issues with the return of in-person registration is it puts newly launched operators at a permanent disadvantage,” Welman said. “In one way, Barstool was fortunate to launch when it did, helping them build a foundation. But growth will be difficult for all operators, and especially those that are farther away from the largest population centers.”
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Illinois, visit PlayIllinois.com/news.
About the PlayUSA.com Network:
The PlayUSA.com Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states, PlayUSA.com and its state-focused branches (including PlayIndiana.com, PlayIllinois.com, PlayNJ.com and PlayPennsylvania.com) produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliation to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.
Win Systems will once again be present at Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Las Vegas 2025, one of the most important events in the industry worldwide. The expo will take place from October 7 to 9 at The Venetian Expo and Win Systems will welcome all its clients at booth #2050.
During the event, the company will showcase multiple innovations across its different business lines, specially developed and adapted to the needs of each market. Within the Systems division, Win Systems will present innovations designed for both casinos and the route market, as well as an important new development in its Electronic Payment Solutions Business Unit.
In addition, the company will unveil new models of roulette, slots, and games that promise to impress operators and players alike, consolidating its position as a leader in innovation and entertainment experiences.
“G2E Las Vegas is the ideal stage to showcase our latest innovations and the result of months of work and development. This year we arrive with proposals designed to meet the challenges and opportunities of each market, always maintaining our mission to continue driving the future of Gaming,” said Eric Benchimol, CEO of Win Systems.
Win Systems invites all industry professionals to visit its booth to experience its latest launches firsthand and see how its comprehensive solutions continue to set trends in the sector.
For more information about Win Systems and its cutting-edge gaming solutions, visit winsysgroup.com
The popular crash game Aviatrix has entered a strategic partnership with Brazilian operator Todos Querem Jogar (TQJ) to bring the hit title to the recently launched brand Bet do Milhão.
TQJ is a Brazil-licensed operator and an investee company of the Silvio Santos Group, one of the country’s largest media conglomerates. Its first brand, Bet do Milhão, is inspired by Show do Milhão, the iconic Brazilian TV game show, and debuts with a full portfolio of sports betting and online gaming, with a strong focus on innovation, security, and responsible play.
Through the partnership, Bet do Milhão players will now enjoy the full Aviatrix experience, including one of the most dynamic and engaging crash game mechanics in the world.
Anastasia Rimskaya, Chief Account Officer at Aviatrix, said: “This partnership with TQJ and Bet do Milhão is a perfect fit. Aviatrix is about delivering exciting and intuitive gameplay, which aligns perfectly with the Bet do Milhão concept. This is another key milestone in establishing Aviatrix as one of the most popular online casino games in Brazil.”
Leonardo Sampaio, Chief Operating Officer at Todos Querem Jogar, added: “We want to combine the Brazilian way of having fun with the very best in technology and content available in the market. That’s why bringing Aviatrix to our new brand was a priority. We are excited to build a long-term relationship with the team and are confident the game will be hugely successful with our players.”
Aviatrix has been rapidly expanding in Brazil in recent months. In April 2025, the game received full federal certification to operate via licensed operators nationwide, as well as a dedicated certification for the state of Paraná.
Pioneering iGaming technology company becomes the latest member of North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries trade group, reinforcing its commitment to advancing the lottery sector through innovative digital solutions
Bede Gaming, the data-driven iGaming technology provider known for its market leading software and full-service platform solutions, announced this month that it has officially joined the prestigious North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries trade group as an Associate Member.
NASPL is the largest trade association in the lottery space, representing 53 state and provincial lottery members throughout North America. The group plays a pivotal role in advocating for lottery organisations on matters of general policy and best practice, while also leveraging collaboration, communication, education, and information for the betterment of the industry.
“NASPL is pleased to have Bede Gaming as our newest Associate Member Partner; we look forward to collaborating this year and beyond with the goal of strengthening our industry.” Jake Coy, Director of Partner Relations, NASPL.
Reflecting on the company’s new NASPL membership, Colin Cole-Johnson, Chief Executive Officer at Bede Gaming, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be joining NASPL as an Associate Member. As a company that’s passionate about supporting lottery customers in achieving their digital transformation goals, this membership provides an opportunity for us to further demonstrate our capabilities and do so in alignment with the highest industry standards.
“Bede is looking forward to working closely with NASPL members and partners to learn about the challenges that they face. Our goal is to explore how our pioneering platform technology can best support their needs, while also contributing to the broader advancement of the lottery industry.”
The NASPL ’25 Annual Conference and Tradeshow this month presents the first opportunity for Bede to do precisely that, with many NASPL members attending, including event host and current Bede partner, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).
As existing members of both the World Lottery Association and European Lotteries, Bede holds a strong commitment to supporting the future of the industry through innovative digital solutions. In the North American market, this is exemplified by the company’s ongoing successful partnership with OLG, which was a key factor in the decision to pursue NASPL membership and a move that was wholeheartedly supported by the provincial lottery.
“Bede has been a trusted partner to OLG for five years, providing us with innovative products and technical solutions that continue to enhance the digital lottery experience for our players in Ontario,” confirmed Andrew Darley, VP of iCasino and iLottery at OLG. “We were happy to recommend them for this esteemed membership and believe that by joining NASPL, they’ll now have the perfect platform to showcase how their expertise can assist the industry going forward.”
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