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Illinois Sportsbooks Collect Nearly $100 Million In March Revenue

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Illinois Sportsbooks Collect Nearly 0 Million In March Revenue


The Illinois Gaming Board reported $99.4 million in adjusted gross sports betting revenue for March on Wednesday afternoon, as sportsbooks narrowly missed a nine-figure haul for the fifth time in state history.

Revenue was up only 2.3% compared to last March despite a 17.9% surge in traditional handle to $1.26 billion. The 7.9% hold this year was 1.2 percentage points lower, leaving operator winnings $580,000 shy of $100 million.

March’s handle was the fourth-highest in 47 months of wagering in the Land of Lincoln and came within $21.7 million of January’s total for third. The $3.62 billion in accepted bets for the first quarter of 2024 is up 20% from last year.

The state received $14.9 million in tax revenue, and the $47.7 million collected in the opening three months of 2024 is $8.5 million ahead of last year’s pace, as year-to-date revenue is up 21.6% from 2023.

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Operator taxes are a point of discussion in Illinois after Gov. JB Pritzker called to more than double the rate to 35% in February for the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1.

Had that rate been in effect for the first three months of 2024, the state would have received $111.4 million — an increase of $63.6 million. Pritzker’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget estimates an additional $200 million in tax revenue with the 35% rate in place.

Cook County received close to $1.1 million in tax revenue from a 2% levy placed on the $54.7 million in adjusted gross revenue generated within its borders, which includes Chicago.

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The city itself collected $910 in taxes from its 2% levy placed on the $45,500 in revenue generated at the DraftKings at Wrigley Field, which began taking wagers in March.

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Plenty of March Madness action

The Illinois Gaming Board does not break out handle between NBA and college basketball, but total wagering on the sport totaled $633.7 million for March — an all-time monthly high and an increase of 23.4% from last year.

It did note that total wagering on college sports for the month, which would be overwhelmingly on basketball given the time of year, totaled $394.8 million. In-person college wagering totaled $16.2 million.

Operators claimed $26 million in revenue from all basketball bets placed, good for a 4.1% hold. That was the largest single source of revenue from a specific sport, while winnings from parlays and same-game parlays accounted for more than half the overall amount at $56.8 million. Illinois bettors wagered $349.7 million on multi-leg bets, resulting in a 16.2% win rate for the house.

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Tennis was a distant second when it came to operator revenue at $5.1 million, as the house had a 6.6% hold on $76.6 million in handle. Soccer was the only other sport to produce more than $3 million in revenue, clearing that mark by $88,000 as handle totaled $43.7 million.

FanDuel tops in revenue; DraftKings leads in handle

Betting via the state’s eight sports betting apps accounted for 97% of the total handle at $1.23 billion.

FanDuel took top honors for revenue with $41.4 million, fashioning a 9.5% hold from $433.8 million in completed events handle. The $435.3 million in traditional handle was within $1.3 million of its all-time high set last December.

DraftKings also narrowly missed its top mark for wagers at $461.5 million, $2.4 million shy of its best total. It collected $32.8 million in winnings — the fourth consecutive month over $30 million — while attaining a 7.1% win rate.

BetRivers joined FanDuel as the only mobile book to top an 8% hold, landing at 8.1% in collecting $6.5 million in revenue from $79.8 million worth of bets placed.

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The fourth through seventh spots for handle were separated by $9.7 million, with ESPN BET the best of the bunch at $62.7 million, followed by Caesars ($61.9 million), BetMGM ($60.4 million), and Fanatics Sportsbook ($52.3 million).

ESPN BET also took the No. 4 spot for revenue with $4.7 million, while Caesars rounded out the top five with just over $4 million. Fanatics pipped BetMGM for sixth by $419,000. Circa Sports set a record for revenue with $324,200 while posting an eight-digit handle for just the second time since launch with $11 million worth of wagers.

DraftKings at Wrigley draws college hoops fans

Bettors who had been waiting nearly a year to place bets at the DraftKings location adjacent to iconic Wrigley Field put a notable chunk of their action on basketball wagers, with almost $494,100 — nearly 70% of the total completed events handle — bet on pro and college basketball. That percentage eclipsed 90% when including the $151,400 in parlays.

Perhaps more impressively was that bettors came out nearly $14,000 ahead on their parlay bets in contrast to the 8.1% hold on basketball that netted DraftKings $40,100 in revenue.

DraftKings’ other retail sportsbook on the other side of the state — at Casino Queen near the Missouri border — enjoyed a solid March with $563,900 in winnings while crafting a 7.2% hold.

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Rivers Casino paced all brick-and-mortar venues with $875,200 in revenue thanks to a 7.4% win rate from $11.8 million worth of bets. Argosy Casino in Alton grossed $592,700 in revenue while notching a 15.7% hold, with $397,300 eligible to be taxed.





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Illinois

Sonya Massey, shot by Illinois sheriff’s deputy, died of gunshot wound to the head, autopsy finds

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Sonya Massey, shot by Illinois sheriff’s deputy, died of gunshot wound to the head, autopsy finds


CHICAGO (CBS) — Authorities in central Illinois on Friday released an autopsy report that confirmed 36-year-old Sonya Massey died of a gunshot wound to the head, after she was shot by a sheriff’s deputy in Springfield earlier this month.

According to the autopsy report from the Sangamon County Coroner’s office, Massey was shot just beneath her left eye, and the bullet exited the back of her upper neck. The bullet caused a skull fracture, perforated her carotid artery, and caused bleeding in her brain.

Massey also suffered minor blunt force injuries to her right leg.

Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in Massey’s death. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and is being held in the Sangamon County Jail while he awaits trial. He was fired by the sheriff’s office after the shooting.

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After learning of the autopsy results on Friday, Massey’s family said they are still struggling mentally and emotionally nearly three weeks after her death.

“I haven’t been able to sleep for real. The only time I really feel comfortable sleeping is when I’m just on the floor. I can’t even sleep in my bed,” said her son, Malachi Hill-Massey. “I really don’t have words. Like I’ve been said, I don’t have words for real.”

Massey’s uncle, Raymond, said her daughter has been “having nightmares to the point where we have to check the room.”

“It just makes me so angry to see my family hurt as they do,” Raymond said.

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Bodycam video shows sheriff’s deputy shooting Massey inside her home

Authorities said Massey, a Black mother of two, called 911 in the early morning hours on Saturday, July 6, to report a suspected prowler outside her house near Springfield, Illinois.

The bodycam video shows Grayson and his partner, who are both White, arriving at Massey’s home, and searching outside the house and talking to Massey at the front door. They are later seen inside her home, and Deputy Grayson instructs Massey to check on a pot overheating on the stove, saying they don’t need a fire in the house.

Massey went to turn off the flame and picked up the pot. She asked where the deputies were going, to which Grayson replied, “Away from your hot, steaming water.”

Massey replied, “Away from my hot, steaming water?” and then twice said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

“You’d better f***ing not. I swear to God, I’ll f***ing shoot you right in your f***ing face,” Grayson said. He then raised his gun and yelled at Massey to “drop the f***ing pot!”

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Massey is seen apologizing and ducking for cover. Grayson opens fire—three shots are heard.

Massey’s family and friends claim authorities tried to cover up the fatal shooting

The family said if it weren’t for the bodycam video of the shooting that was released on Monday, no one would know the truth.

Massey’s friends and family have said police first suggested it was a neighbor who had a previous dispute with Massey who shot her, and then later suggested the shooting was self-inflicted.

Massey’s oldest son, Malachi, said no one from law enforcement ever told the family who actually shot Massey. He said he didn’t learn until he saw it on the news the next day.

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Sonya Massey shooting: Illinois State Police release bodycam

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Sonya Massey shooting: Illinois State Police release bodycam


National outrage continues after Illinois State Police released new bodycam video of a sheriff’s deputy fatally shooting a Black woman in her home. Two officers were at Sonya Massey’s home to investigate reports of a prowler in the neighborhood. Please be warned that the video may be disturbing for some.



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Dog shot, killed by police after brutally attacking owners in Elgin, Illinois

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Dog shot, killed by police after brutally attacking owners in Elgin, Illinois


ELGIN, Ill. (CBS) — A dog turned on its owners Thursday evening, attacking the man and woman in northwest suburban Elgin.

The owners were seriously hurt—and police had to take down the animal to keep everyone safe.

Just before 5 p.m., neighbors in the 900 block of High Street in Elgin heard screams nearby. They could instantly tell they were hearing cries of distress.

“I thought to myself, what the heck is going on?” said neighbor Roger Foehringer.

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The neighbors stepped outside to find the dog attacking its owners. They called 911, and Elgin police and emergency crews quickly filled the quiet neighborhood.

The dog turned its owners for reasons unknown.

“A couple was walking their dog, it got angry at another dog, and then it attacked the owner—attacked both of the owners,” said neighbor Mark Freshour, “and it finally grabbed the woman’s arm, and it got both of her arms—tore it down to the bone.”

Witnesses said once the dog locked down on the woman, the man tried his best to get her free. He was even injured in the attempt.

By the time officers arrived, Elgin police said the responding officer had no choice put to pull out his weapon.

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“The officer pulled the gun and shot the dog,” said Freshour. “It was no way to get that dog to turn loose. It was clamped on so hard, they were trying for five mins to get the dog off.”

Killing the dog was the only way police and witnesses say the dog let go. Once free, it turned out the woman’s injuries were so severe that the officer started a tourniquet to stop the woman from bleeding.

“She was bleeding in so many places,” said Freshour. “It was awful.”

Freshour said the actions of the officer—by shooting the dog, but also tending immediately to the woman’s injuries—were nothing short of heroic.

“I akready told them I appreciated their service, and how fast they responded,” Freshour said.

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Police said the two victims will survive. They were hospitalized ins serious condition late Thursday.



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