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PlayIllinois.com: Sports betting nearly reaches $600 million in September

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Illinois sportsbooks

 

Football fueled a surge in betting in September at Illinois sportsbooks, which combined to generate nearly $600 million in wagers. September’s handle was short of the state record of $633.6 million in March, dampened by an in-person online registration rule that will likely be lifted on March 5, according to PlayIllinois, which tracks the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.

“September will set a U.S. record for legal sports betting, and Illinois was able to meet those expectations,” said Joe Boozell, lead analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “But as strong as September’s results were, in-person registration continues to limit Illinois’ ceiling. Assuming the governor signs the bill that will put an end to the rule on March 5, Illinois will begin breaking through this monthly handle plateau in spring.”

Bettors poured $596.5 million in wagers into Illinois retail and online sportsbooks in September, up 95.4% from $305.2 million in September 2020 and up 49% from $400.4 million in August, according to official data released Monday. September’s handle equates to $19.9 million in bets per day, up from $10.2 million per day in September 2020 and up from $12.9 million over the 31 days of August.

Accordingly, gross revenue rose 279.3% to $44.6 million in September from $11.8 million in September 2020 and up 36.3% from $32.7 million in August. That led to $40.0 million in adjusted gross revenue in September, yielding $6.5 million in state and local taxes.

With the first three weekends of the NFL and a full month of college games played in September, football drew $230.6 million in wagers. That is up from just $17.2 million in August. Baseball attracted $115.9 million in bets, down from $139.6 million in August. Tennis ($55.3 million) and soccer ($34.3 million) also generated significant interest.

“The NFL, and to a lesser extent college football, is irreplaceable in its ability to motivate bettors,” Boozell said. “General interest in football helps Illinois’ sportsbooks overcome the struggles of the Chicago Bears, and the ban on betting on in-state college teams. Plus, sportsbooks continued to capitalize on the playoff run by the White Sox in September.”

Only New Jersey ($1.01 billion) and Nevada ($786.7 million) attracted more bets during September than Illinois, which surpassed Pennsylvania’s $578.8 million.

Since launching legal sports betting in 2020, Illinois has generated:

  • $6.5 billion in wagers, fourth most among all markets during that time
  • $508.3 million in gross revenue
  • $78.3 million in state taxes

“With the end to in-person registration in sight, Illinois’ future is awfully bright again,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayIllinois.com. “It is not difficult to imagine a world where it is again challenging the nation’s largest sports betting markets.”

Online betting accounted for 95.5%, or $569.9 million, of the state’s handle in September. DraftKings/Casino Queen topped the state with $236.5 million in combined online and retail handle, up from $149.2 million in August. That included an Illinois-best $232.1 million in online wagers. The operator took in $8.0 million in gross revenue on September’s bets, up from $11.3 million in August.

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FanDuel was again second with $156.2 million in online and retail wagers, up from $111.5 million in bets in August. $155.0 million of August’s wagers came online. FanDuel’s combined handle created $18.0 million in gross revenue.

The leaders were followed by:

  • BetRivers/Rivers Casino ($98.5 million in wagers, including $87.3 million online; $9.3 million in revenue)
  • Barstool/Hollywood Aurora ($46.5 million in wagers, including $45.3 million online; $4.2 million in revenue)
  • PointsBet/Hawthorne Race Course ($43.9 million in wagers, including $41.9 million online; $3.6 million in revenue)
  • Caesars by William Hill/Grand Victoria ($9.4 million in wagers, including $8.2 million online; $595,393 in revenue)
  • Argosy ($3.3 million in retail wagers; $412,858 in revenue)
  • Hollywood Joliet ($1.3 million in retail wagers; $257,992 in revenue)
  • Par-A-Dice ($629,829 in wagers; $159,804 in revenue)

“DraftKings and FanDuel have been the main beneficiaries of Illinois’ relatively small roster of operators, which is still absent some of the nation’s largest operators, including No. 3 BetMGM,” Ramsey said. “Ideally, with the latest changes there will be renewed interest in Illinois from operators.

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RESORTS WORLD LAS VEGAS NAMES TOM MCMAHON SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SLOT OPERATIONS AND MARKETING

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Resorts World Las Vegas is continuing the expansion of its executive leadership team with the appointment of Tom McMahon as Senior Vice President of Slot Operations and Marketing.

A respected leader with more than two decades of experience in gaming and hospitality, McMahon steps into his role effective immediately.

“Tom’s deep expertise in luxury casino operations and marketing makes him a powerful addition to our team,” said Carlos Castro, President and Chief Financial Officer of Resorts World Las Vegas. “We look forward to the leadership he will provide in this essential function at Resorts World Las Vegas.”

McMahon has held senior roles at some of the most recognized names in the industry, including Wynn Resorts, Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas Sands, Venetian | Palazzo and most recently Sycuan Casino Resort. At Resorts World Las Vegas, he will lead initiatives across slot operations, marketing and the Genting Rewards Loyalty Program, with a focus on innovation, guest engagement and operational excellence.

Said McMahon, “Returning to Las Vegas to join a forward-thinking property like Resorts World is an incredible opportunity. I am eager to help shape the next chapter of growth by enhancing the guest experience and building on the strong foundation already in place.”

For more information about Resorts World Las Vegas, please visit rwlasvegas.com

 

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Brightstar Capital Partners Completes Acquisition of PlayAGS for Approximately $1.1 Billion Dollars

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Brightstar Capital Partners Completes Acquisition of PlayAGS for Approximately $1.1 Billion Dollars

 

Brightstar Capital Partners (“Brightstar”), a private equity firm focused on investing in business services, industrials, consumer, and government services and technology companies, announced the closing of its acquisition of PlayAGS, Inc., a global full-service gaming supplier of high-performing slot, table, and interactive products. The transaction was first announced on May 9, 2024.

The closing follows approval of the transaction by AGS stockholders and the receipt of all required regulatory approvals. Under the terms of the agreement, AGS stockholders will receive $12.50 per share in cash, valuing the transaction at approximately $1.1 billion. As a result, AGS is now a privately held company, and its common stock will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

The acquisition comes amid strong growth momentum for AGS. Over the past three years, the Company has more than doubled its global slot unit sales to over 6,100 units, grown online real-money gaming content revenue by over 150%, and increased Table Products revenue by more than 50%—collectively driving three consecutive years of record revenue performance. Powered by strategic investments in R&D and a deep and diverse suite of high-performing products, AGS has become a comprehensive solutions provider across multiple product categories and has a growing global presence both in land-based and online casinos.

“We’re excited to join forces with Brightstar, a partnership that marks both a pivotal moment and a transformative new chapter in AGS’ growth story,” said David Lopez, CEO & President of AGS. “With Brightstar as a strategic partner, we believe AGS is in an ideal position to accelerate growth and double-down on delivering focused, high-impact innovation across slots, table products, and online gaming. This partnership sharpens our ability to serve casino operators with differentiated content and solutions built to give them a winning edge.”

“We are thrilled to officially welcome David and the AGS team to Brightstar,” said Andrew Weinberg, Founder, CEO & Co-Chair of Brightstar. “We believe that AGS’ full-spectrum product offering and customer-centric culture set it apart in a growing industry. Our goal is to help the Company expand into new markets and continue to use technology to create exciting games and products.”

Macquarie Capital served as financial advisor and Cooley LLP served as legal counsel to AGS. Jefferies LLC served as lead financial advisor to Brightstar. Barclays and Citizens JMP Securities also served as financial advisors to Brightstar. Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck served as legal counsel to Brightstar.

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Plaza Hotel & Casino to host Las Vegas’ inaugural “Wing Bowl®” with first qualifying “Wing Off” event on July 4 at 6 p.m. at Carousel Bar

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The Plaza Hotel & Casino is bringing to Las Vegas the iconic “Wing Bowl,” the premier chicken wing-eating competition that was founded in Philadelphia in 1993. The main event, Wing Bowl 2026®, will take place on Feb. 7, 2026, and the first qualifying “Wing Off” event will take place at Carousel Bar at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 4, and it is free to the public to attend.

The first and second place eaters in the July 4 qualifying event will move on to the February contest. The Plaza will also award $1,000 to the person who eats the most Buffalo wings in 10 minutes on July 4.  The July 4th qualifying event is one of several that will be held in Las Vegas and Philadelphia in the coming months to compete in the Feb. 7 event at the Plaza.

The main event on Feb. 7 will host a live audience of hundreds of attendees in the Plaza showroom and reach an even wider audience through online broadcasting. With a $5,000 cash prize at stake, 20 competitors will battle it out in three rounds of intense wing-eating action. This competition will feature both amateur and competitive eaters.

The February event will also feature the Wingettes, the cheerleaders of Wing Bowl who escort contestants on stage and bring energy, glamour, and charisma to the event. They will be selected through an exclusive online and live audition process later this year.

William Hill Sportsbook is a partner sponsor of Wing Bowl, and additional sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting

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