Illinois sports betting handle more than doubled from August to September although wagering revenue failed to match this torrid pace.

Figures released Friday by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) show the state’s sports betting licensees handled wagers worth $305m in September, more than twice August’s $139.8m as the NFL’s return brought bettors out of pandemic hibernation.  

Nearly 93% of handle was wagered digitally, up from 88.4% in August thanks to full month contributions from both DraftKings and FanDuel. The state also welcomed PointsBet and William Hill in mid-September, further adding to bettors’ digital options.

Rush Street Gaming’s BetRivers brand maintained its spot atop the betting handle rankings with $112.6m in combined retail and digital wagers, good for a 36.9% share of the overall. However, this was a serious step down from the over 84% share BetRivers enjoyed in August as DraftKings reported handle of $98.2m in September while FanDuel wasn’t far back with $82.5m.