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Things have gone just about perfectly for Illinois sports betting news from the moment things were launched a little while back. With so many pro teams in the state, the numbers have been fantastic to see and the revenue continues to climb with each passing month. This is obviously fantastic for lawmakers and officials. With that said, Illinois continues to be among the top betting states in the USA, with a huge report for May recently coming in.
According to a report, Illinois posted a total betting handle of $821.7 million for May. That’s wild to even think about and it actually came in second place in the entire country. New York continues to dominate things, as they reached almost $1.4 billion for their efforts that month. Despite New York finishing first, that doesn’t take away from the incredible stats that Illinois continues to record.
It makes a ton of sense that May was such a strong month, as the NBA postseason was still going on and Major League Baseball was in its second full season of the campaign. We don’t have to tell you that people love betting on the Chicago Cubs, as their MLB betting odds are checked consistently by fans across the state. NBA action is always going to be high that time of the year too because of the Chicago Bulls.
Illinois is consistently finishing in the Top 3 of sports betting numbers. It may not be one of the biggest states in the USA, but its sports fans are showing time and time again that they are quite passionate. Chicago is the biggest city in the state, with all the pro teams having quite the following. With the Chicago Blackhawks in the NFL as well, plus the Chicago Fire in the MLS, it only adds to the betting intrigue for so many folks in the area.
Top 10 U.S. states by sports betting $$ wagered, May 2023 (of states reporting so far:
1. New York: $1.36B
2. Illinois: $821.7M
3. New Jersey: $779M
4. Nevada: $527.4M
5. Pennsylvania: $495.6M
6. MA: $455M
7. Ohio: $447.5M
8. VA: $403.7M
9. Colorado: $385M
10. Maryland: $320M— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) July 15, 2023
NFL betting is about to take off in Illinois soon
Looking ahead to the coming months, there’s no question that NFL betting is about to take off in Illinois soon. Why, you ask? Because the expectations are high for the Chicago Bears and star quarterback Justin Fields. With Aaron Rodgers now with the Jets, the NFC North feels like it’s more wide open than it’s ever been. The Vikings won the division last year, but the Bears are hoping to get the job done in 2023.
Interestingly enough, the Lions hold the top NFL betting odds to win the division, as they ended last season winning eight of their final 10 games. Quarterback Jared Goff is ready to ball out, while other playmakers will be ready to put on a show as well. However, the Bears still have a lot of young talent on both sides of the ball, which will surely make them a team to watch from start to finish in 2023.
As a whole, people will be betting big on other teams as well. When it comes to the Super Bowl betting odds, the Kansas City Chiefs remain at the top of the list, as Patrick Mahomes is hoping to win his third title. However, teams like the Eagles, Bills, Ravens, Bengals, Cowboys, Giants and others are hoping to try and take them down as well. People can’t wait for Week 1 of the new season to get here.
With training camps for every team getting started this week, this should lead to plenty of NFL futures bets being recorded in Illinois. Things will keep on rising leading up to Week 1 in September. From start to finish during the regular season, people all over Illinois will be recording countless bets on the Bears and other squads. Then, things will certainly reach a new level once the postseason arrives too.
Hot off the grill 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NRt0rxhPqR
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 12, 2023
The in-state college ban remains In Illinois
As excited as people are for the football season to get here, don’t forget that the in-state college ban remains in Illinois. With this, people are not permitted to place wagers on the NCAA football and basketball teams. This is a bit of a bummer, especially for fans of Northwestern. The team is in the Big Ten, one of the best conferences for college football in the country.
Northwestern fans and alumni would love nothing more than to be able to check the NCAAF betting odds and put some money down on them. However, not long ago, it was announced that the in-state ban for colleges would be in place for at least another year. Perhaps in 2024 things will get changed, but for now, the ban remains in place.
This is costing the state a bit when it comes to potential revenue, but it’s clearly not bringing things down too much. The impressive May numbers were fantastic to see, but things are only going to get better for them for the rest of the summer and in the fall. All in all, things are quite exciting for the state. This is something people need to keep on celebrating, as the state is laying down a blueprint for others to follow.
