Hollywood Casino Aurora Sets Stage For First Barstool Sportsbook In Illinois

Barstool Sportsbook is formally visiting the Hollywood Casino Aurora, despite long-standing rumors to the contrary.

Hollywood Auroratweeted on Tuesday, reiterating what the business had anticipated:

We are hiring, and our phone number is 128227.

The #BarstoolSportsbook is coming soon to Hollywood Aurora (stay tuned!) and we are looking for new team members to join us. Apply now! https://t.co/an7sI4p9NZ

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). pic.twitter.com/ozAIpoJHbt

— Hollywood Aurora (@HollywoodAurora) February 23, 2021

Penn National Gaming CEO Jay Snowden said a few weeks ago that Barstool plans to launch before March Madness betting begins. It remains to be seen if that will happen, as Selection Sunday is rapidly approaching.

Regardless, Barstool will be in Illinois soon enough. And if you’re in sports bettor in the Chicagoland area, you’ll have no shortage of Barstool options.

Where else in Illinois did Barstool operate a physical casino?

We know that the Argosy Casino Alton will eventually feature a Barstool Sportsbook.

After BetRivers, Argosy, which is located in suburban St. Louis, is the second-most well-liked financial betting in Illinois.

That news came as a bit of a surprise, as Unibet has Illinois market access via Argosy and plans to launch in 2021.

However, Penn owns Argosy, so it likely reasoned that Barstool branding would drum up more interest. The data backs up that reasoning.

In addition to Argosy and Hollywood Aurora, Penn also owns Hollywood Casino Joliet. While not official, we also expect Hollywood Joliet to have a Barstool Sportsbook.

It has also hinted as such on social media.

Last but not least, the Ameristar Casino East Chicago has a Barstool Sportsbook in addition to being located in Indiana.

Given that it’s only a 30-minute drive from downtown, that place is the closest to Chicago.

When Barstool Illinois debuts, what can we anticipate from it?

First off, it uses Kambi odds, much like DraftKings and BetRivers. So once it launches, half of the state’s online sportsbooks will use Kambi odds.

That & rsquo is not a good option for line shoppers looking to get the most value for their purchases.

However, Barstool is in a good position and should perform well in terms of the business.

Boston has the second-highest Barstool following behind Chicago. And in areas like Pennsylvania and Michigan, it has off to a good start.

Barstool is the clear-cut No. 3 operator in Pennsylvania and Michigan, and if you’re buying the company line, they don’t have to spend as much in customer acquisition as competitors.

In Illinois, there is a clear top three of DraftKings, FanDuel and BetRivers. There’s an enormous handle gap between BetRivers and No. 4 PointsBet.

Believe Barstool and BetRivers to face off for the No. 3 position. In Illinois, BetRivers is significantly larger than it is in other states, reaching a monthly handle of more than$ 100 million in December.

But, it is losing ground in the ranks as FanDuel posted a higher number. manage that quarter for the first time. Although we haven’t seen any evidence in different states that Barstool will jump into the best two, it may begin in third and steadily climb.

Why this might upset the Illinois activities gambling industry

Simply put, if Illinois wants to surpass Pennsylvania and take over as the No. 1 state, it needs more virtual users. 3 US sports gambling markets.

A new mobile sportsbook hasn’t launched in Illinois since William Hill in mid-September. And with only five online betting options, IL doesn’t have nearly as many offerings as most comparable states.

In the December control, Illinois earned$ 491.7 million, while Pennsylvania earned$ 548.6 million.

Barstool or anyone else, fresh casinos ought to be skyrocketing.

While the timing would have been better back in the fall, it’s still great now, assuming Gov. JB Pritzker continues to extend mobile registration.