PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Sports betting in Illinois was up 51% to $795 million in revenue in 2022, American Gaming Association leaders said Wednesday.
The commercial gaming industry saw a record $60 billion revenue in 2022. Illinois is the third largest market in the United States for gambling.
“Gaming is line with beer sales in terms of consumer spending,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller.
Miller said the industry’s single biggest threat is illegal gambling.
“With nearly half of the gambling in the U.S. happening illegally, it presents a significant threat to the progress the regulated industry makes on responsible gaming, problem gambling, age verification, AML compliance and more,” he said.
The industry lost $510 billion in revenue to illegal operations in 2022.
“Unregulated and illegal businesses are taking advantage of our growth and millions of consumers who are new to gaming. They are brazenly ignoring the law, exploiting consumer confusion by trying to present themselves as legitimate operators,” said Miller.
The American Gaming Association will press the Department of Justice and law enforcement to crack down on illegal gambling, Miller said.
The bipartisan Congressional Gaming Caucus also re-launched to bring lawmakers together to strengthen laws and close loopholes.