For the first time, Illinois residents were able to bet legally on the Super Bowl, and the state raked in more than $1 million in tax revenue thanks to the game.
According to information from the state Gaming Board, the state pulled in $1,148,890 in tax revenue as a result of wagering on the game, which saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers best the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday evening.
In all, the state reported an online handle of $42,756,647 in betting on the game, with another $2,853,866 wagered in physical sports books across the state. A total of $45.6 million in wagers were handled by Illinois sports books for the game.
It’s been just over a year since sports gambling in Illinois became legal, with the first legal wagers accepted in March 2020. After gaming operations were suspended due to the COVID pandemic on March 16, online betting became available on June 18, with in-person wagering allowed to resume on July 1.
