Based on the April casino revenue numbers from the state of Illinois, this is a state that would benefit greatly from legalizing online casino gaming. The overall revenue numbers saw a dip of more than 10% from the month of March, and that’s all while an online casino bill is on the table.
The Illinois Internet Gaming Act is a bill that was first introduced in the House of Representatives, but that is currently where the bill stands. It seems very unlikely that there will be any significant movement during this legislative session, but at some point this will happen.
Based on the current language of the bill, Illinois could actually create an online casino industry that is highly competitive. The current proposed tax rate is set at just 15%, and that would be an attractive number to online casino operators.
Illinois currently has 15 casinos that are in operation in the state, and this bill would allow for each casino to acquire three online casino licenses. It’s not likely that there will ever be 45 online casinos, but the possibility is there.
It’s unclear just how big this market could become, but early predictions have it right alongside Pennsylvania in terms of size. Pennsylvania is currently the leading online casino market in the United States, and Illinois would easily become the leader in the Midwest.
Not Much April Action
The overall revenue numbers in April are still impressive in comparison to other states, but the Illinois Gaming Board would like a bigger number. Total revenue was $136.6 million, while that number was all the way up to $152 million in March.
14 of the 15 casinos in Illinois saw a dip in revenue last month, and most of those dips were significant. The Illinois casino industry is one that has continued to grow, and these properties no longer have to be on the river to operate.
Other states have also reported a significant decrease in revenue from March, and that is a trend that tends to happen every single year. Casinos are more popular during the summer months, but Illinois is still leaving money on the table.
The state of Illinois continues to search for new ways to bring in revenue, and just $31 million was brought in last month. While that number is still significant, it still has key players in the industry looking to make a bigger splash.
No Catching Rivers Casino
The Illinois Gaming Board also breaks down the revenue numbers for each casino, and it was once again Rivers Casino that was leading the way. Rivers posted a total revenue of $42.2 million, but it still saw a huge dip from the March numbers.
There is a nice battle brewing for the second place position in the state, but there is also a clear gap between those casinos and Rivers. The Grand Victoria Casino posted an April revenue of $12.4 million to finish off the month of April in second place.
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