An all-time high in gambling revenue was enjoyed by the US state of Illinois in the last fiscal year, rising to $1.9bn.

This was $500,000 up on the $1.4bn of the previous best in 2019.Lottery sales were the major share, with $833m in the year, from July 2021 to June this year, says the Illinois General Assembly Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

The new record is set despite a fall in sales, because there were fewer winners and operating costs were cut. I-lottery sales brought in $279m, up 64 per cent from 2021, while video gambling revenue brought in another $724m, up 52 per cent.

At the closing of the fiscal year, Illinois operated 43,128 machines in nearly 8,000 venues.