The handle surpassed the previous high of $1.37bn.

US.- Illinois’ sports betting handle was $1.45bn in October, up 24.5 per cent year-on-year and up 10 per cent from September. It surpassed the previous high of $1.37bn set in November 2023. Players bet $1.41bn online and $36.7m at retail sportsbooks.

According to the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB), online and retail sportsbooks produced $81.4m in revenue, a 27.8 per cent decrease year-on-year. The 5.6 per cent hold was the state’s eighth-lowest.

DraftKings posted $23.1m in revenue off a $507.7m handle. FanDuel reported $33.9m from $478.2m and Fanatics Sportsbook $8.2m from $103.7m.

October was the fourth month of a new tax rate in Illinois. A 15 per cent flat adjusted gross revenue rate has been replaced by a sliding scale, ranging from 20 to 40 per cent, depending on handle. The state collected $24.5m in tax revenue from sports betting activity in October.