Illinois sportsbooks topped $1 billion in handle for the seventh straight month in April, though handle and the number of bets placed were down year-over-year. The latest revenue report from the Illinois Gaming Board, released June 15, showed handle of $1.21 billion and taxable revenue of $129 million.
Operators paid the state $57.9 million in tax revenue. That does not include the 10.25% city of Chicago tax that went into effect Jan. 1.
Sportsbooks in Illinois pay tax on a sliding scale from 20%-40% based on handle, as well as a per-wager fee that was implemented July 1, 2025. In April, the per-wager tax netted the state $10.9 million, bringing the total since its inception to more than $100 million, per “Altruda Analyzes” on the Straight to the Point Substack. Lawmakers predicted it would bring in $40 million per year.
Sportsbooks are charged a 25-cents-per-bet tax on the first 20 million wagers and 50 cents per bet on all bets after the first 20 million. The result is that the state’s top two performing sportsbooks, DraftKings and FanDuel, have been paying the top tax plus 50 cents per wager for months. The state’s other sportsbooks haven’t crossed the 20 million bet threshold and most pay between 20%-30%. Even the lower end of the spectrum represents an increase from the original flat tax rate of 15% on adjusted gross revenue that went into effect when mobile betting launched in June 2020.
Sportsbooks hold nearly 11%
In April, the number of bets placed was down 25% against April 2025, but the 10.7% hold rate was the highest of the year so far. DraftKings, which reported the highest handle — $418.5 million — had a win rate of 10.6%, while FanDuel, which reported handle of $333.6 million, had a 13% win rate. That meant that while DraftKings took $84.9 million more in bets, its adjusted gross revenue was only $1.1 million more than FanDuel’s.
Fanatics was the only other sportsbook to cross the $100 million mark in handle, taking $129.2 million in bets and reporting $9.7 million in AGR.
The impressive hold rate meant taxable winnings were up more than 19% in April despite the declines in handle and number of bets.
The amount bet was down against March, as well. Bettors wagered $1.39 billion in March, which is a key sports betting month that includes the NCAA basketball tournament.
Illinois lawmakers are hoping to reap even more tax benefits beginning in July. As part of its budget, the state legislature included language that would bring prediction markets, which offer sports event contracts, under a regulatory and tax structure. It’s unclear, however, if the state will be able to enforce this law, as the platforms are currently licensed and regulated at the federal level.
