Illinois Casinos Generate $169.1 million in December, up 7.6% Year-on-Year

Casinos in Illinois generated $169.1 million in December, a 7.6% year-on-year increase from the $157.1 million generated in December 2023. 

Of the total, electronic gaming devices generated $128.9 million in December, a 9.5% increase from $117.7 million the year before, and table games revenue saw a minor increase of 2%, rising from $39.4 million to $40.1 million.  

While casino revenue rose in December, Chicago instituted a new sports betting gaming tax on January 1, where operators must pay an additional 10.25% tax on the adjusted gross receipts of sports bets placed in the city, on top of Illinois' 20-40% taxes on sports betting, and its per-wager fee of 25 cents, prompting backlash from large sportsbooks.  

 Wind Creek Casino Takes the Lead for Revenue Rise  

The latest report from the Illinois Gaming Board shows that of the 17 casinos in the state, eight recorded year-on-year gains, two saw revenue remain stable, one had no change to report due to not being in operation in December 2024, while six casinos' revenue declined. 

The casino that saw the most significant revenue rise was Wind Creek Casino, which experienced a 53.1% year-on-year increase, rising from $11.2 million to $17.2 million, the highest in the state.  

Additionally, other double-digit rises were seen by the Hollywood Casino Joliet, which rose 47.5% from $7.5 million to $11.1 million, and the Full House Resorts Casino, which rose 12.8% from (.6 million to $10.8 million.  

Stability was observed in the revenue of the two casinos in December, including for the Argosy Casino Alton, which experienced a minor decline of 0.6%, falling from $2.74 million to $2.72 million, and the Golden Nugget Danville, which saw a 0.7% increase from $3.47 million to $3.49 million.  

The biggest loser in December was DraftKings at Casino Queen, which saw revenue decline 33.3% year-on-year from $8.2 million to $5.5 million. Other losses in the state were reported by the Harrah’s Joliet Casino, which declined 7% year-on-year from just under $10 million to $9.3 million, and the Hollywood Casino Aurora, which faced a 6.6% decline, falling from $8.6 million to just under $8 million.  

Sportsbooks Drop Effort to Block Chicago Sports Betting Taxes  

In response to the controversial sports betting tax, the Sports Betting Alliance, a representative of sports betting operators including DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics Betting, filed to immediately block the new taxes and sports betting licensing requirements in the city; however, it has since dropped this filing.  

As part of the claim, the lawsuit stated that the Illinois Sports Wagering Act, passed in 2019, does not permit local governments to impose their own taxes in addition to the state's sports betting taxes, which Illinois has one of the highest in the US.  

While none of the sportsbooks had been granted licenses at the time of filing, licenses were quickly granted once the lawsuit was filed, with the emergency temporary restraining order against the city dropped by the SBA shortly after.  

While the emergency filing to block the implementation of the sports betting tax was dropped, the SBA’s lawsuit, which challenges the constitutionality of the law, will continue, with a hearing for the suit scheduled for March.  

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