Illinois smashes betting handle record in October as players wager $840.4m
| By Robert Fletcher
Illinois became the latest state to set a new monthly handle record in October as consumers wagered a total of $840.4m (£637.6m/€742.9m) on sports.
This represented a 93.5% increase from $434.4m in October of last year and surpassed the previous monthly record of $627.6m set in March this year by 33.9%.
The October total was also 42.0% higher than the $591.8m spent by players in September this year.
The Illinois Gaming Board said online bets accounted for $803.0m of all wagers placed during the month, with retail sportsbooks processing the remaining $36.9m.
Consumers spent £712.6m betting on professional sports in October, as well as $127.4m on college sports events.