Illinois Hits $1.27 Billion in May Sports Bets Led by FanDuel

Illinois sports betting stayed hot in May, with monthly wagers topping $1.27 billion, marking the third-highest total this year. Only New York posted bigger numbers, and Illinois has now gone nine straight months without dipping below the $1 billion mark.

Good to know

• May’s $1.27 billion handle marked a 24.9% increase from May 2024.
• FanDuel topped revenue charts with $49.7 million, despite a smaller handle than DraftKings.
• Illinois sportsbooks generated $45.2 million in tax revenue during the month.

The NBA and NHL Playoffs gave Illinois sportsbooks a strong push in May. Total adjusted revenue came in at $120.9 million—up 19.6% from last year. That marked the fourth time in six months that sportsbook profits cleared $100 million.

Operators held onto 9.5% of all wagers during the month. While not as high as win rates seen in some other states, it was still Illinois’ third-strongest figure in 2025.

Tax collections keep climbing

Sportsbooks pulled in 11.5% more revenue than they did in April, which led to $45.2 million in tax contributions to the state. The year-to-date total surpassed $200 million, helped by recent legislative changes that added new 25-cent and 50-cent fees to every sports bet placed.

Those surcharges also prompted several operators to make their own pricing changes. FanDuel and DraftKings introduced 50-cent fees per bet. BetMGM raised its minimum wager to $2.50, while Hard Rock Bet will not accept anything under $2.

Meanwhile, Illinois lawmakers are discussing the removal of credit card deposits as a funding option. The state’s Attorney General also signaled that iGaming might be on the horizon.

FanDuel leads in revenue, DraftKings in handle

Online sports betting made up the bulk of May’s action—$1.24 billion in handle and $118.6 million in revenue.

DraftKings was the volume leader with $413 million in total bets. However, FanDuel topped all platforms in revenue, pulling in $49.7 million from $388.7 million in wagers, thanks to a strong 12.8% hold rate. DraftKings posted $38.1 million in revenue with a 9.2% hold.

Fanatics Sportsbook had a strong month too. Its $156.4 million handle was more than $40 million higher than April, and the operator generated $6 million in income—good for third place.

BetMGM also brought in $6 million, though from a much smaller handle of $62.4 million. BetRivers earned $5.7 million from $64.5 million in wagers. bet365 closed the month with $4.2 million in revenue from $50.8 million in bets. ESPN BET and Caesars both came in around $3.6 million.