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This is wild to even think about. Recently, we wrote an Illinois sports betting news story about the incredible numbers that were coming for August. To close out the summer, things were fantastic for the state, with the NFL preseason surely playing a big role in things. However, things were followed up with an absolute bang. That’s because Illinois posted a record-breaking sports betting month for September.
According to a report, Illinois was able to post an incredible number, with the total handle reaching 831.8 million. For perspective, September’s numbers for 2023 were 30 percent better than the same month in 2022. This just goes to show that things are continuing to improve and even better numbers could be on the way in the coming months. This most recent September, it’s easy to assume that the return of the NFL season was a reason for the spike.
The Chicago Bears are in the middle of a brutal year, but that doesn’t mean that people haven’t been ready to drop a lot of money on their games. Quarterback Justin Fields has been dealing with a lot of injuries, but he’s back on the field – there’s no question he’s also playing for his future as the team’s starting quarterback. There’s plenty of speculation that the Bears could use next spring’s first-round pick on a signal-caller.
For the rest of the winter months, there’s no doubt that people all over Illinois will be checking the NFL betting odds and placing wagers on the Bears and other teams in the NFC North. As we get close to the Super Bowl too, people will be tuned into the playoff race. The Bears won’t be in the postseason, but the Lions and Packers are two team rivals who could be ready to make noise in January. Bears fans will be keeping a close eye on them, that’s for sure.
Every shoe has a story. #MyCauseMyCleats@justnfields is reppin’ The Justin Fields Foundation pic.twitter.com/HsTR1hSaOR
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 8, 2023
Online betting saw a spike in numbers in September
As you might have been able to guess, online betting saw a spike in numbers in September. Online wagers have been tremendous for fans to take advantage of, as nothing beats the convenience of being able to place a wager from wherever you might be on the go. Over the past six months, things really have been impressive for Illinois from an online standpoint and there’s no reason to believe it’s going to slow down.
We still have a few months left in the NFL season and then people in Illinois, specifically Chicago, are going to have a lot of focus on the NFL Draft. As we mentioned above, there’s a possibility that the Bears could look to take a new quarterback to replace Fields. Fields is a former first-round pick, but he just hasn’t lived up to the hype and the organization could be ready to move in a different direction.
If that’s the case, then both Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are surely going to be two names to keep an eye on. With those two, it really depends on what the Arizona Cardinals decide to do if they end up with the No. 1 overall pick. Plenty of people think that the Cardinals will go with Williams, but they could end up going with an offensive lineman instead and pushing forward with Kyler Murray as QB1.
If they end up making that decision, then it could open the door for Williams, or Maye, to fall to Chicago whenever they’re on the clock. No one knows how things are going to play out, but you better believe that countless bets will be going on who the Bears might take in the first round. The Super Bowl betting numbers will also be something fun to pat attention to as we get closer to the big game.
Caleb Williams skipping out on the bowl game essentially means he’s declaring for the NFL Draft 2024.
As a USC fan, we appreciate you Heisman. Fight On ✌🏽 pic.twitter.com/AdWORKiQmG
— D’Anton Lynn’s Disciple ✌🏽 (@DwaneRobinson4Q) December 4, 2023
Will a Chicago-area casino be on the way soon?
A big question people have right now is will a Chicago-area casino be on the way soon? For a while now, there’s been a lot of discussion for a new casino/resort to make its way to the downtown area. As things stand, the only casinos and sportsbooks are located about 45 minutes outside of the main part of the city.
However, from a tourist standpoint, city officials in Chicago know the kind of impact that a major casino could have. It would give people yet another reason to make their way to Chicago, as it would open the door for people to head out and place bets at an in-person sportsbooks in The Windy City. This would surely be a major win for people in that part of the state.
Things are starting to develop and there are plans in place to get this done. However, the hope in this case is that something will be able to get done in the coming years. Chicago is one of the best cities in the USA and adding a casino and resort would be massive. Will it happen by the end of 2024? This is something that we can’t wait to find out about.
