Since Illinois sportsbooks began taking bets in March 2020, gamblers have lost more than $812 million wagering on various games, matches, tournaments and races.

But the misfortunes of those gamblers have translated into a $122 million windfall for Illinois, according to Illinois Gaming Board records from March 2020 through March 2022.

“And the casinos that have an affiliation with sports gambling as part of their business are doing well and seeing a lot of additional foot traffic,” said Tom Thanas, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association. “That obviously translates into some folks staying and enjoying table games or slot machines.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who championed gambling expansion in 2019, said the state has also received $81 million in “licensing and application fees” from sportsbook operators.