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

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 stateâs regulated online gaming and sports betting market.
âIllinois 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,â said Joe Boozell, lead analyst for PlayIllinois.com. âBecause 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.â
Bettors made $369.1 million in wagers at Illinoisâ 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 marketâs hold, which is the percentage sportsbooks keep after paying out winning bets, remains relatively high.
âJuly features fewer prime betting opportunities and casual bettors are more occupied with vacations and other activities, and there isnât much sportsbooks can do about that,â said Eric Ramsey, analyst for the PlayUSA.com network, which includes PlayIllinois.com. âIllinois sportsbooks have done well by increasing their hold over the summer months, which puts operators in a good position as casual bettors return.â
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 Julyâs 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.
âWith 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,â Ramsey said. âIn the end, the traditional team sports are still by far the largest draw for bettors, which is why football is so important for sportsbooks.â
Julyâs 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 Julyâs 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 Julyâs 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)
âFanDuel continues to wring out an impressive amount of revenue from the bets it takes in,â Boozell said. âDraftKings 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.â
For more revenue information, visit PlayIllinois.com/revenue.
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Spintec Strengthens its Partnership with Merkur in Colombia and Peru

At the Peru Gaming Show in June, strategic partners Merkur Gaming and Spintec entered a new chapter in their partnership in Latin America. The two companies signed a distribution agreement for Colombia and Peru, marking an important milestone in their collaboration. Their united presence at the show highlighted the strength of this alliance, which continues to deliver considerable advantages to their already winning cooperation across the region.
Spintecâs debut appearance this year was a highlight of Merkur Gaming stand at Jockey Plaza in Lima. The Slovenian specialist in Electronic Table Games (ETGs) featured an impressive range of products that combined innovation, reliability, and performance. Â Their Karma and Charisma product lines were the big showstoppers with their unbeatable combination of innovation and reliability. These products are gaining traction and popularity all over the world for a very good reason: they are fully engaging and attractive to look at, while also being extremely dependable.
And the quality of Spintecâs portfolio is already delivering measurable results in the region. The renowned research company Eilers & Krejcik recognized Spintec as the top-performing ETG supplier in South America in their April 2025 Latin America Game Performance Report. This achievement propels the partnership in Peru and Colombia even further. It not only underlines the seamless integration of Merkurâs powerful regional presence with Spintecâs technological leadership in ETGs but also serves as a testament to the importance of companiesâ growing strategic alliance.
“ETGs are a valuable and strategic addition to Merkurâs already robust product portfolio,” said Dominik Raasch, Management Board Member, Merkur Games. “Our partnership with Spintec is built on a shared vision of delivering excellence, innovation, and value to our customers. The joint market presence we are creating in Latin America is only the beginning.”
Goran Sovilj, Global Sales Director at Spintec, echoed the sentiment: “Our collaboration with Merkur Gaming continues to deepen, and weâre proud of what weâve achieved together. With their strong local teams, infrastructure, and sales support, we are perfectly positioned to take the leading role in the ETG market in Latin America, and beyond.”
As the companies continue to strengthen and widen their strategic alliances in the region, their commitment to joint innovation, market leadership and next-level gaming experiences grows even further. The optimism is based on past achievements, but also on a very positive outlook towards future growth.
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ACR POKER CONCLUDES MONSTER VENOM TOURNAMENTS, DELIVERING OVER $10 MILLION IN PRIZE POOLS AND EPIC FINAL TABLE BATTLES

ACR Poker wrapped up its flagship Dual Venom tournaments, delivering over two weeks of big poker action and awarding more than $10 million in prize pools as players worldwide battled for massive payouts and coveted bounties.
The $8 Million NLH Venom drew 3,392 entrants across six Day 1 flights, pushing the prize pool to $8,480,000. The tournament concluded with Southern California resident David ‘IamYorFather’ Gonzalez, 54, claiming the NLH Venom crown after a fierce final table battle against elite opponents. The champion eliminated runner-up ‘ArkaduktusFrRM’, earning $665,163 and $45,000 in bounties.
âIâm still trying to process what just happened. Even days later it all seems so surreal. I was especially thrilled to be able to overcome being the short stack at the final table,” Gonzalez shared. “The money was a blessing because I have quite a few family members in need and this allows me to support them fully.”
Adding to the excitement, âsorka1975â claimed the $500,000 top bounty, with âArkaduktusFrRMâ ($210,000) and âAndreWardâ ($205,000) rounding out the top three mystery bounty winners.
ACR Pros kept the action buzzing throughout, with Chris Moneymaker firing up multiple bullets in the opening Day 1s, and Michael Loncar, Rob Kuhn, and Katie Lindsay earning their spots in Day 2. Fans can rewatch the final table action on ACR Poker’s Twitch channel, featuring Rob Kuhn and Drew Gonzalez.
Meanwhile, the $2 Million PLO Venom, tying ACR Pokerâs biggest Omaha tourney ever, attracted 830 entrants and a $2,075,000 total prize pool. âFutureTrunksâ ultimately secured the first-place prize of $208,217, plus $146,250 in bounties.
“It was awesome to see such a solid turnout and fun atmosphere in both Venom tourneys,â said Moneymaker. âHuge congrats to the winners and everyone who hit those incredible bounties.âÂ
From Venom Fever to the Venom Vault, ACR Poker offered players hundreds of low-cost opportunities to win $2,650 Venom seats. One standout success came from âxGetxRektxâ, who turned an $0.80 Venom Vault Key into an incredible $15,000 bounty and $6,500 cash prize.
While the Venom tourneys have concluded, ACR Poker is ensuring the action continues with more exciting tournaments approaching, including Septemberâs Online Super Series XL, boasting a $50 million guarantee.
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Rivalry Reports Q2 2025 Results Highlighting Record Unit Economics, Structural Efficiency, and Strategic Progress

Rivalry Corp. (the âCompanyâ or âRivalryâ) (TSXV: RVLY), an internationally regulated sports betting and media company, today announced financial results for the three and six-month period ended June 30, 2025 (âQ2 2025â). All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.
Q2 2025 marks Rivalryâs second full quarter operating under its restructured business model initiated in late 2024, centered on efficiency, improved player monetization, and deeper operational discipline. The Companyâs results continue to demonstrate the impact of this shift, with record net revenue per player, reduced expenses, and a significantly narrowed net loss.
âWeâve rebuilt Rivalry into a lean, high-performance engine,â said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. âPlayer monetization is at all-time highs, the product is stronger than ever, and weâre doing more with less.â
Key Highlights
- Net revenue in Q2 2025 increased 24% sequentially to $1.6 million, up from $1.3 million in Q1 2025, despite a declining expense base and completely flat marketing spend.
- Operating expenses declined 62% YoYÂ to $3.6 million, down from $9.5 million in Q2 2024, reflecting substantial cost reductions and improved operational focus.
- Net loss narrowed 59% YoYÂ to $2.19 million, down from $5.37 million in Q2 2024, and improved sequentially from $2.99 million in Q1 2025.
- Average Customer Acquisition Cost payback across H1 2025Â was approximately 1.5 months, reflecting improved funnel conversion, higher player value, and stronger retention – all achieved under constrained spend conditions.
- Run-rate monthly operating expenses remain approximately $600,000 USD, consistent with the Q1 2025 press release.
Adjusted Operating Metrics
As with Q1 2025, a meaningful portion of Q2 2025 expenses were non-recurring or non-operational, including annual audit costs, regulatory fees, and legacy vendor payments from prior periods. On a run-rate basis:
- Adjusted G&A expense1Â was $1.7 million, compared to the reported $2.5 million.
- Adjusted Technology and Content expense1Â was approximately $440,000, versus $854,000 reported.
These adjustments reinforce that Rivalry is operating increasingly closer to breakeven on a structural basis, with the Q2 2025 reported net loss largely a function of historical payables and costs from prior quarters.
Record Player Economics
Performance improvements continued in Q2 2025, with record-high player monetization across multiple dimensions. These gains were driven by an improving product, high value player segmentation, enhanced onboarding, retention, and engagement improvements across the platform.
- Net revenue per player increased 49% quarter-over-quarter, and was 210% higher than the historical average prior to the Q4 2024 transformation.
- Wagers per player rose 7% quarter-over-quarter, and nearly 300% above the pre-rebuild average.
- Average monthly deposits per player increased 28% quarter-over-quarter, following a 175% increase in Q1 from historical levels.
- Deposit frequency per player climbed 22% quarter-over-quarter, compounding earlier gains, up 115% from historical levels in Q1.
Strategic Review and Operational Focus
Rivalryâs previously announced evaluation of strategic alternatives (the âStrategic Reviewâ) remains ongoing. The Company continues to explore a range of potential outcomes aimed at maximizing shareholder value. There is no assurance regarding the timing or results of the Strategic Review.
As part of the Strategic Review, Rivalry is focused on:
- Normalizing the cost base to the aforementioned run rate by resolving non-recurring liabilities and payables from prior periods.
- Activating a controlled growth strategy, supported by high marketing efficiency and a 1.5-month Customer Acquisition Cost payback average observed throughout 2025.
- Targeted cost optimization, with additional reductions being assessed for H2 2025.
âThis Strategic Review is about enabling growth from a fundamentally stronger base,â said Salz. âWeâve rebuilt the engine. Now weâre focused on unlocking its full potential.â
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