$45 Million Bet on Super Bowl in Illinois
BetRivers Sportsbook, the first brick-and-mortar sportsbook approved by the Illinois Gaming Board, opens to the public at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines on March 9, 2020. (Credit: Chicago Sun-Times)
Legal sports betting in Illinois brought in a pretty penny for its first Super Bowl.
The Illinois Gaming Board reported Monday more than $45 million was wagered on the Super Bowl. Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation into law legalizing sports betting in June 2019, but it was not up and running until March of last year, about a month after the largest American sporting event of the year.
With limits on in-person attendance at Illinois casinos, around 95% of bets were made online.
The state reports $42.7 million was bet online while about $2.8 million was wagered in-person at an Illinois casino.
The adjusted gross revenue, the total bets minus the amount paid to winners, was around $7.6 million.
The total amount of tax dollars for the state is estimated at $1,148,890.
Much more betting, and revenue, of course, is expected for the NCAA tournament next month. The 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though, no bets on teams from the state, like the University of Illinois, will be permitted.
