MOLINE, Ill. — Since the pandemic, Quad Citizens have returned to some popular places hoping to strike it rich. Data gathered by the American Gaming Association shows commercial casinos across the U.S. raked in over $66 billion worth of revenue, with about $4.4 billion coming from Iowa and Illinois.
Certain states have a gaming tax, including Iowa and Illinois, and have gaming funds in which their collected revenue is deposited. Those funds can be deposited, at a later date, to their state's general funds for capital projects.
The collective total for gaming revenue is broken into two categories: traditional gaming, like slots and table games, and sports betting, including in-person and online.
How much did Illinois and Iowa make in traditional gaming revenue?
According to the American Gaming Association, the bulk of overall revenue in 2023 came from brick-and-mortar casino slots and table games, totaling roughly $49.4 billion.
Illinois
In Illinois, traditional casino revenue brought in $1.52 billion. The American Gaming Association says Illinois casinos saw their highest-grossing year since 2017.
According to a 2023 Illinois Gaming Board report, here's how much our local casinos brought in:
- Bally's Quad Cities Casino and Hotel in Rock Island accumulated a gross revenue of $56,420,261.18.
- Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in East Peoria, Ill. earned a total gross of $58,600,736.30.
- Both casinos saw a bulk of their revenue come through slot play versus table games.
Iowa
Iowa generated roughly $1.7 billion in gross revenue from traditional gaming. According to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, here's how much our local casinos earned in gross revenue during 2023.
- Isle of Capri in Bettendorf: $73,430,962
- Rhythm City Casino in Davenport: $115,204,660
- Wild Rose Casino in Clinton: $33,290,715
How much did Illinois and Iowa make in sports betting revenue?
Sports betting generated $10.92 billion in revenue during 2023, up 44.5%. Americans legally wagered $119.84 billion on sports, up 27.8% from the previous year.
Five new sports betting markets that became operational in 2023 — Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Ohio — contributed to that and generated a combined $1.49 billion in revenue. By the end of the year, Massachusetts and Ohio established themselves among the country’s top 10 sports betting states by revenue. New York topped all states with $1.69 billion.
Illinois
Sports betting became legal in Illinois in 2020 and has seen major success since its inception. In 2023, Illinois exceeded $1 billion in sports betting for the first time alongside New Jersey.
Here's how our local casinos compare.
- Information on Bally's Quad Cities Casino was not listed in the Illinois Gaming Board's report.
- The Par-A-Dice Casino earned a total of $776,243.94 in leftover money after paying out wagers placed by patrons, also known as adjusted gross receipts (AGR). When it comes to the events people bet on the most during 2023 basketball, football and multiple-game parlays all contributed to their overall revenue.
Iowa
Iowa is also relatively new to sports betting, with it being legalized statewide in 2019. Iowa casinos earned an overall total of $148,340,806.03 between in-person bets and online wagers, with a majority coming from online betting.
Here is how local casinos fared in sports betting for 2023:
- The Isle of Capri reported $$2,487,555.19 worth of revenue from sports betting. A majority of players placed bets online rather than in person.
- Rhythm City Casino made $134,179.41 in revenue from sports betting.
- The Wild Rose Casino earned $17,343,545.32 in revenue from people in-person and online.
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