World Cup betting may be booming in the US, but the latest Illinois Gaming Board figures show that pre-tournament sports wagers fell over 10% year-on-year in May to just over $1.1 billion.
The total volume of bets also fell by 21% over the same period, per Illinois Gaming Board figures, as reported by the media outlet Covers.
The drop has hit Illinois sportsbooks’ adjusted revenues, which are down almost 2% on May 2025 figures. And this May saw operators experience their biggest year-on-year fall so far in 2026.
The taxman, however, will have fewer complaints. Sports betting-related tax revenues rose over 16% year-on-year to almost $53 million.
To date, the Prairie State has generated over $1.34 billion in taxes from sports betting.
Familiar faces topped the state’s sports betting operator charts. DraftKings and FanDuel‘s combined May handle was $722.4 million, resulting in total adjusted revenue of $82.3 million.
Illinois Sports Betting: Silver Linings
There were some silver linings in the figures, however. The state’s handle has remained above the $1 billion mark for nine straight months, putting it in the top three US states.
And while May may have been slow, it still marked a 25% improvement on April’s total volume of wagers.
As well as the then-forthcoming World Cup, May was hardly short of sporting action.
Highlights included the Kentucky Derby, the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, the NBA playoffs and conference finals, the Indianapolis 500, the return of Ronda Rousey to the UFC, and the PGA Championship.
Elsewhere in the world, May was also a busy month for soccer. It saw most European leagues come to a close, as well as Paris Saint-Germain play Arsenal in the Champions League Final, with the UEFA League and Conference League finals also played in May.
The Prediction Market Battle
Illinois operators and regulators, however, appear to believe sportsbooks are losing out to prediction market operators, who saw a sharp rise in pre-World Cup sports-related contract action.
Illinois lawmakers responded earlier this year by adding a tax on sports prediction markets to the state’s latest budget.
The budget stipulated that prediction market operators must pay a 14.25% tax on all transaction fees or adjusted revenues.
One of the chief proponents of the tax, Governor JB Pritzker, has found himself on the receiving end of strongly worded criticism from US President Donald Trump.
Trump has backed prediction markets, as has Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael Selig.
The CFTC chief says only the commission has the authority to tax or regulate prediction market operators, and has previously launched lawsuits against Illinois and eight other states.
In the World Cup, meanwhile, pre-tournament favorites France lost in the first semifinal against Spain on July 14.
As the tournament heads toward its conclusion this weekend, many heavily backed teams such as the US and Portugal are already out of the competition.
