Compare / Illinois vs. Iowa
Illinois vs. Iowa: gambling compared
Both Illinois and Iowa have online sports betting, in-person sports betting, commercial casino gambling, state lotteries and paid daily fantasy sports. Illinois also has online lottery ticket sales, which Iowa does not. Iowa has tribal casino gaming, which Illinois does not.
Illinois taxes online sportsbooks at 2% to 40% of adjusted revenue; Iowa at 6.75% of net revenue.
In the 12 months through Aug 2026, online sportsbook revenue was $1.39B in Illinois and $263M in Iowa; retail sportsbook revenue was $24.2M in Illinois and $16.6M in Iowa.
Lottery sales in fiscal 2024: $3.86B in Illinois, $458M in Iowa.
Online sportsbook revenue
Data
Illinois: $73.7M (Aug 2026); Iowa: $16.0M (Aug 2026).
| Month | Illinois | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | $73.7M | $16.0M |
| Jul 2026 | $113M | $16.8M |
| Jun 2026 | $87.0M | $15.5M |
| May 2026 | $114M | $19.6M |
| Apr 2026 | $123M | $20.8M |
| Mar 2026 | $121M | $23.0M |
| Feb 2026 | $102M | $19.4M |
| Jan 2026 | $130M | $26.3M |
| Dec 2025 | $149M | $28.1M |
| Nov 2025 | $157M | $29.8M |
| Oct 2025 | $124M | $26.8M |
| Sep 2025 | $98.7M | $20.6M |
| Aug 2025 | $105M | $19.7M |
| Jul 2025 | $87.9M | $16.4M |
| Jun 2025 | $111M | $18.4M |
| May 2025 | $119M | $18.9M |
| Apr 2025 | $106M | $18.5M |
| Mar 2025 | $93.9M | $15.1M |
| Feb 2025 | $126M | $20.9M |
| Jan 2025 | $143M | $25.5M |
| Dec 2024 | $99.5M | $13.8M |
| Nov 2024 | $151M | $27.3M |
| Oct 2024 | $79.7M | $17.8M |
| Sep 2024 | $133M | $24.5M |
Each state's full series: Illinois · Iowa
Casino revenue
Data
Illinois (adjusted): $178M (Sep 2026); Iowa (adjusted): $128M (Sep 2026).
| Month | Illinois (adjusted) | Iowa (adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | $178M | $128M |
| Aug 2026 | $193M | $131M |
| Jul 2026 | $193M | $136M |
| Jun 2026 | $174M | $139M |
| May 2026 | $193M | $152M |
| Apr 2026 | $181M | $146M |
| Mar 2026 | $183M | $152M |
| Feb 2026 | $168M | $136M |
| Jan 2026 | $165M | $136M |
| Dec 2025 | $169M | $140M |
| Nov 2025 | $155M | $131M |
| Oct 2025 | $166M | $141M |
| Sep 2025 | $158M | $132M |
| Aug 2025 | $174M | $151M |
| Jul 2025 | $168M | $145M |
| Jun 2025 | $159M | $137M |
| May 2025 | $176M | $149M |
| Apr 2025 | $163M | $141M |
| Mar 2025 | $171M | $155M |
| Feb 2025 | $141M | $127M |
| Jan 2025 | $144M | $133M |
| Dec 2024 | $157M | $143M |
| Nov 2024 | $153M | $140M |
| Oct 2024 | $137M | $133M |
Each state's full series: Illinois · Iowa
Retail sportsbook revenue
Data
Illinois: $1.2M (Aug 2026); Iowa: $1.1M (Aug 2026).
| Month | Illinois | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | $1.2M | $1.1M |
| Jul 2026 | $1.7M | $1.2M |
| Jun 2026 | $1.4M | $896K |
| May 2026 | $2.0M | $1.2M |
| Apr 2026 | $1.9M | $1.0M |
| Mar 2026 | $2.2M | $1.5M |
| Feb 2026 | $1.5M | $381K |
| Jan 2026 | $205K | $1.5M |
| Dec 2025 | $3.8M | $2.0M |
| Nov 2025 | $3.1M | $1.6M |
| Oct 2025 | $3.1M | $2.1M |
| Sep 2025 | $2.1M | $2.1M |
| Aug 2025 | $2.0M | $2.4M |
| Jul 2025 | $1.9M | $1.6M |
| Jun 2025 | $2.3M | $841K |
| May 2025 | $2.3M | $1.2M |
| Apr 2025 | $1.9M | $296K |
| Mar 2025 | $1.8M | $689K |
| Feb 2025 | $2.4M | $355K |
| Jan 2025 | $4.0M | $688K |
| Dec 2024 | $926K | −$545K |
| Nov 2024 | $3.1M | $2.8M |
| Oct 2024 | $1.4M | $692K |
| Sep 2024 | $4.1M | $2.9M |
Each state's full series: Illinois · Iowa
Lottery sales
Data
Illinois, FY2024: $3.86B, up 7% from FY2023; Iowa, FY2024: $458M, up 2% from FY2023.
| Fiscal year | Illinois | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | $3.86B | $458M |
| FY2023 | $3.61B | $450M |
| FY2022 | $3.39B | $404M |
| FY2021 | $3.45B | $423M |
| FY2020 | $2.84B | $348M |
| FY2019 | $2.97B | $365M |
| FY2018 | $2.93B | $347M |
| FY2017 | $2.84B | $329M |
| FY2016 | $2.86B | $367M |
| FY2015 | $2.84B | $325M |
| FY2014 | $2.80B | $314M |
| FY2013 | $2.83B | $339M |
| FY2012 | $2.68B | $311M |
State fiscal years, from the Census Bureau. Illinois lottery · Iowa lottery
Side by side
| Illinois | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | ||
| Sports (online) | Live since 2020 | Live since 2019 |
| Sports (retail) | Live since 2020 | Live since 2019 |
| Online casino | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Online poker | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Commercial casinos | Live since 1991 | Live since 1991 |
| Tribal casinos | Not authorized | Live since 1992 |
| Lottery | Live since 1974 | Live since 1985 |
| iLottery | Live since 2012 | Not authorized |
| Daily fantasy | Live since 2020 | Live since 2019 |
| VGTs / VLTs | Live since 2012 | Not authorized |
| Historical horse racing | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Sweepstakes casinos | Contested | Contested |
| Prediction markets | Contested | Contested |
| Skill games | Not authorized | Contested |
| Card rooms | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Lottery couriers | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Pick'em fantasy | Contested | Live since 2019 |
| Pari-mutuel | Live | Live since 1985 |
| Advance deposit wagering | Live | Live since 2012 |
| Charitable gaming | Live | Live |
| Esports betting | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Social casino | Live | Live |
| Tax rates | ||
| Sports (online) | 20%–40% of adjusted revenue | 6.75% of net revenue |
| Sports (retail) | 20%–40% of adjusted revenue | 6.75% of net revenue |
| Commercial casinos | 15%–50% of adjusted revenue | 5%–22% of adjusted revenue |
| Lottery | Set by statute; see rates | — |
| Daily fantasy | 15% of adjusted revenue | 6.75% |
| VGTs / VLTs | 35% of net revenue | — |
| Prediction markets | 1.75% of amount bet | — |
| Pick'em fantasy | — | 6.75% |
| Pari-mutuel | 17% of amount bet | 6% of amount bet |
| Minimum age | ||
| Commercial casinos | 21 | 21 |
| Sports betting | 21 | 21 |
| Lottery | 18 | 21 |
| Tribal casinos | Not legal | 21 |
| Online casino | Not legal | Not legal |
| Horse racing | 21 | 21 |
| Fantasy sports | 21 | 21 |
| Bingo & raffles | 18 | — |
| Sports betting rules | ||
| Bet on a phone anywhere in the state | Yes | Yes |
| College games | Yes | Yes |
| In-state college teams | No | No |
| College player props | Yes | Yes |
| Sign up in person | No | No |
| Credit cards | — | No |
| Esports | — | No |
| Official league data required | Yes | No |
| Money | ||
| Reported revenue per adult, 2025 | $486 Includes: Sports (online); Sports (retail); VGTs / VLTs. Separate series excluded for unavailable GGR, incomplete periods or overlapping reports: Commercial casinos. Coverage differs; no overall state rank. | $116 Includes: Sports (online); Sports (retail). Separate series excluded for unavailable GGR, incomplete periods or overlapping reports: Commercial casinos, Daily fantasy. Coverage differs; no overall state rank. |
| Gambling and amusement taxes per resident, FY2025 | $151 6th of 47 | $115 7th of 47 |
| Gambling and amusement share of state taxes, FY2025 | 2.70% 8th of 47 | 3.08% 6th of 47 |
| Lottery sales per resident | $303 FY2024 | $141 FY2024 |
| Lottery money to the state | $879M 23% of sales, FY2024 | $108M 24% of sales, FY2024 |
| Market | ||
| Online sportsbooks licensed | 8 | 13 |
| Casinos open | 17 | 23 |
| Regulators | Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) Illinois Lottery (Department of Revenue, Lottery Division / private manager) Illinois Racing Board (IRB) Illinois Attorney General | Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) Iowa Lottery Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) |
| Gambling bills still moving | 449 | 99 |
Census amusement and sports/pari-mutuel tax categories include non-gambling admissions and amusement businesses. This is a broad tax measure, not a gambling-only total; tribal payments and lottery transfers are separate. If a category is unreported, the sum covers only reported categories; missing is not confirmed zero.