In the Land of Lincoln, playing is huge enterprise — CDC Gaming

Sometimes a narrative triggers a second of perception, a glimpse into the long run. That occurred to me this week when Illinois reported on line casino income for August. Revenue was up 24 p.c to $174.0 million in August and 1,434,928 folks have been admitted to the casinos, a 31 p.c improve over 2024. Those will increase are by far the biggest within the nation, off the chart below regular circumstances. What is happening in Illinois?

The easy reply to the query is extra casinos. In 2024, there have been 15 casinos reporting income in Illinois and 17 in August 2025. One on line casino, Hollywood Joliet, moved into its everlasting quarters on August 10. It was one of many state’s unique riverboats, however laws handed in 2019 allowed riverboats to develop into land-based casinos. Last 12 months on the boat, Hollywood generated $7.6 million in GGR and had 58,095 guests. In three weeks on terra firma, Hollywood generated $11.1 million in income and had 121, 276 admissions. This 12 months, Hollywood Joliet was fifth total in admissions; final 12 months it was tenth. It appears shifting to land was a good suggestion. 

New for August was additionally Wind Creek Chicago Southland. It opened in November 2024 and was the sixteenth and remaining license granted by the state below the 2019 enlargement laws. Wind Creek is owned and operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama; the tribal enterprise has 10 operations in Alabama, Illinois, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and the Caribbean. In August, Wind Creek reported $17.0 million in GGR and 177,316 guests, second solely to Rivers. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines reported $41.8 million in income and 264,718 admissions. 

Rivers owns the market. The unique license was awarded to Midwest Gaming in 2008 and the on line casino opened in July 2011. It was offered in 2019 to Churchill Downs. Rivers was awarded the tenth and remaining license of the unique laws. It was additionally awarded the primary land-based license in 2019 and which may be a part of the key of its market share. There is one further operation, a racino referred to as Fairmount Park. It solely acquired 20,000 guests and $1.5 million in income, Fairmount Park hardly issues within the huge image. So there you’ve got it, 16 casinos rocking the Midwestern boat in Illinois.

That will not be the top of this story. Casino gaming is just a part of the image within the Land of Lincoln. The different components are the video lottery terminals positioned in quite a lot of social and retail areas and sports activities betting. VLTs and sports activities haven’t but reported, so it’s essential to estimate the revenues to finish the August image. In July, 49,000 VLTs in Illinois generated $282.6 million. It is protected to imagine that in August, there can be extra VLTs and income is prone to be about $290 million. Combining casinos and VLTs, there can be $465 million gaming income in Illinois for August. Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania will report extra. But wait, that’s not all.

Sports betting for August is not going to be reported till the second week in October. Illinois has been reporting the second-highest deal with and win; solely New York gamblers wager and lose extra. For August, New York reported $2.0 billion in wagers and $178.2 million in GGR. Illinois will most likely report $1 billion in deal with and $120 million in win. Including that estimate, whole GGR can be $584 million for the month. New Jersey and Pennsylvania don’t report till the fifteenth and sixteenth of the month, however utilizing July as a information, their GGR will are available between $550 and $600 million.

That is the lay of the land in August 2025. But if Illinois had igaming, as New Jersey and Pennsylvania do, the panorama would change dramatically.  Igaming in Illinois can be an element of inhabitants measurement, as it’s with cellular sports activities betting in each state.  In Illinois, igaming may generate between $300 million and $400 million and that will make Illinois second solely to Nevada in whole income. Given the historical past of gaming enlargement in Illinois, the chances favor legalization of igaming throughout the subsequent 5 years. All that’s required is a governor with aggressive plans or a recession.

Who would have thought in 1990, when the Illinois Legislature handed the Riverboat Gambling Act, that it could be just some years and 5 – 6 legislative steps earlier than the Land of Lincoln was vying with Nevada for the crown of the capital of playing? The on line casino income report in August 2025 gave us a touch of that future.