More than $86M of Super Bowl bets expected in Illinois

ALTON — More than $86.1 million in Super Bowl wagers could be placed in Illinois this year, according to sports betting analysts.

According to Eric Ramsey, lead analyst for Catena Media which owns PlayUSA.com, last year $45.6 million was placed in Super Bowl wagers in Illinois. Dave Briggs of PlayIllinois.com calculated Illinois sports bettors wagered more than $60 million on the Super Bowl last year.

Changes in Illinois' sports betting law is expected to greatly increase wagers this year when the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 12. 

Locally sportsbooks are offered at Argosy Casino Alton and FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing in Collinsville.

"The Chicago metro could continue to flex its muscle in terms of sports betting prowess in 2023," according to Derek Helling of PlayUSA.com "While the local Bears didn’t sniff the playoffs this season, the temperatures limit activities in early February. There’s little to do but bet on and then watch the game."

Last year Illinois rescinded the in-person registration requirement for online betting that was in place in 2021. With that gone, and the market moving toward maturity, Illinois sports betting could be the next market to reach nine figures in wagers on Super Bowl Sunday, Helling said.

Illinois gamblers placed a record $1.03 billion in sports bets during November, topping October's tally of $1.029 billion, according to figures reported by the Illinois Gaming Board. FanDuel in Collinsville led all Illinois casinos in November sports wagers with a handle of $345,273,098. That generated $43,827,568 for the sportsbook and $7,007,955 in tax revenue. Argosy Casino Alton posted a handle of $4,630,633 in November, generating $376,726 in revenue and $49,661 in taxes.

Nationwide, more than $1.1 billion in Super Bowl wagers is expected to be placed in sportsbooks throughout the U.S.

“The 2023 Super Bowl could draw more bets than any other game in the history of US sports, easily surpassing 2022’s total with the addition of a few major markets to the equation,” said Ramsey.

It's projected that the top five sports betting states — New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Illinois and Ohio — could bring in a combined $621.9 million in Super Bowl bets.

Because sports betting remains illegal in Missouri, Helling said many Kansas City, Missouri residents will likely cross the border to place legal bets in Kansas — the first year legal sportsbooks in Kansas will take wagers for the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LVII will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, just across the parking lot from a physical sportsbook. 

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER or text ILGAMB to 833234.