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.
Latest News
THE UNIT TO STEP UP EXPANSION PLANS WITH OPENING OF NEW YORK CITY OFFICE
The Unit aims to grow its presence in the Americas with move to new Manhattan location in January 2025 at Bank of Irelandâs NYC Hub
The Unit, a leader in product design and development for sports betting and iGaming, will proudly open its new office in New York City, as part of its long-term global expansion objectives, in January 2025.
The Americas division was established in 2023 with the launch of The Unitâs partnership with online operator PlayStar Casino. The New York City office, located in the heart of Manhattan, will now be the hub for The Unitâs activity in the Americas.
This new base will be located at Bank of Irelandâs NYC Hub, which was launched to help Irish business owners expand their North American operations. The offices at 2 Grand Central Tower are a great asset to Irish companies aiming to expand their operations in the United States and beyond. This is an ideal location for The Unit to grow its footprint in the region.
The project will be put into practice by The Unitâs Head of Business Development & Account Management Mark OâHare, who has relocated to New York and will be responsible for The Unitâs commercial growth in the region.
With product and development teams in Ireland and Moldova, the addition of an American hub is further proof The Unit holds an unwavering commitment to becoming the partner of choice, on a global scale, throughout the industry.
Paddy Casey, Co-founder at The Unit, said: âThese are exciting times for The Unit, and with plans in place to exponentially grow our presence in the Americas across the next few years, the start of 2025 will be the perfect time for us to move into one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
âThis will be the ideal addition to our existing bases in Ireland and Moldova. The flexible workspace the hub can provide will be integral to our plans and will give us the opportunity to grow the team.
âThis is an excellent opportunity for us to touch base with clients in the Americas and strategise further launches. Weâre looking forward to mapping out our future in the region with our team on the ground there.
âI would like to thank Mark OâHare for making the move to New York, and Iâm sure both he and his team will have the skills and experience to execute our vision for the Americas division across the long-term.â
Tania Sheikh, Manager of NYC Hub for Bank of Ireland, said: “We are very pleased to welcome The Unit to the NYC Hub. The facilities we can provide have helped businesses scale up and connect with their partners, and we are proud to offer that opportunity to The Unit.
âWe look forward to hosting The Unit and wish them well in their endeavors to grow their business here.â
The Unit has solidified its strong track record of building world-class, scalable and efficient products for the sports betting and iGaming sector in recent years.
As The Unit embarks on this exciting period of growth, the company remains committed to delivering exceptional products and services to its clients. With its experienced team, best-in-class product development capabilities, and focus on innovation, The Unit is poised to shape the future of the sports betting and iGaming industries.
Latest News
Golden Matrix Group to Participate in the 2025 ICR Conference
Golden Matrix Group Inc., a developer and licensor of online gaming platforms, systems, and gaming content, today announced that management will participate in the 2025 ICR Conference on January 13-15, 2025 at the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, FL.
Zoran Milosevic, Chief Executive Officer of Meridianbet, will participate in a fireside chat with an equity research analyst on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET and will also be available for meetings during the conference.
Canada
Be #GiftSmart: Scratch the Idea of Gifting Scratch & Win Tickets to Kids
BCLC reminds adults to gift responsibly this holiday season
With the holiday season in full swing, BCLC is reminding British Columbians to gift responsibly and scratch lottery products from their shopping lists for kids.
âScratch & Win tickets can make great stocking stuffers for the adults in your life, but theyâre not for kids,â said Ryan McCarthy, BCLCâs Director of Player Health. âThe research shows that children who have early encounters with gambling are four times more likely to develop riskier gambling behaviour as they grow up. While people are out shopping for those last-minute gifts, BCLC wants adults to be aware of the potential risks associated with gifting lottery products to children and to consider safer alternatives.â
While Scratch & Win tickets are among the most common ways kids can be introduced to gambling, children are increasingly exposed to various online forms, such as gambling streams.
âWith the convergence of gaming and gambling, youth are becoming more exposed to gambling content in online spaces like streaming sites, where creators are able to live-stream their own gambling, usually while playing online slots and instant games,â said Dr. Luke Clark, Director for Gambling Research at UBC. âOur research at the UBC Centre for Gambling shows that a higher frequency of watching online gambling streams is associated with a more positive attitude towards gambling and a high intention to gamble in the future.â
In B.C., it is illegal to sell lottery products to anyone under the age of 19 and BCLC encourages adults to have conversations with the kids in their lives about the risks associated with gambling.
âOpen and honest conversations are crucial when it comes to navigating childhood exposure to gambling,â said McCarthy, who shared the following tips to adults:
- Monitor for gambling-related lifestyle changes. For example, developing a positive attitude towards gambling or a preoccupation with video games or streaming sites.
- Be a positive role model. Exhibit safer gambling behaviour and talk about the risks.
- Limit exposure. Monitor kidsâ online activities and discourage engagement with gambling content. Explain how gambling is based on chance.
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