BREAKING: Barstool Sportsbook To Launch Thursday In Illinois

Dave Portnoy has announced that the Barstool Sportsbook app is scheduled to launch in Illinois at noon on Thursday.

A tweet from the founder of Barstool initially highlighted this news. Following this, PennNationalGaming issued a press release announcing their launch in the Prairie State.

As promised, it is set to go live in Illinois just in time for March Madness betting, making it the sixth online sportsbook in the state.

Barstool is set to become a part of sports betting operators, joining DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers, PointsBet, and William Hill. It is anticipated that its retail sportsbooks at Hollywood Casino Aurora and Hollywood Casino Joliet will open soon. Additionally, Barstool is expected to launch a retail sportsbook at Argosy Casino Alton.

The Ameristar East Chicago in Indiana also houses a Barstool Sportsbook. However, it’s less than a 40-minute drive away from the center of Chicago.

Barstool aims to become a significant influence in Illinois, banking on its intensely loyal Chicago-based audience.

This is what you should know about Barstool in Illinois.

Barstool additionally employs Kambi conflict

Kambi odds will now be used by half of the online sportsbooks in Illinois, including DraftKings and BetRivers.

For now, DraftKings is using Kambi, but it hopes to transition to its own technology later this year.

Typically, the launch of another sportsbook would be favorable for line shoppers. However, since Barstool also utilizes Kambi, there is no additional advantage in this case.

However, casinos usually introduce some sort of special offer when they launch. Although Barstool is not currently available, we will keep you updated on its introductory deals.

How has Barstool fared in different locations?

Although Barstool is not the top sports gambling site in the US, it is performing well in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

The next state where it will become electronically available is Illinois.

In Pennsylvania, it ranks third in operation by handle, following FanDuel and DraftKings, but the gap is quite significant. In Michigan, it held the third position in online operation by handle in January, trailing behind FanDuel.

However, breaking into the top three in Illinois will be quite challenging. It’s not impossible, but it certainly won’t be easy.

In December, DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetRivers were the leaders in handle in Illinois, in the listed order. BetRivers, ranking third, received bets worth $111.2 million.

PointsBet, who finished in fourth place, reported a tackle of $32 million.

Barstool might likely start off between BetRivers and PointsBet.

There’s a high possibility that There & rsquo will eventually overtake BetRivers. However, based on trends in other markets, outperforming either FanDuel or DraftKings will be challenging.

Illinois & rsquo, the ceiling, should be raised by new operators.

Illinois, now the fourth-largest sports gambling market in the US, announced a control of $49.7 million in December.

Despite having fewer than five online sportsbooks that month, compared to its fellow top states.

Barstool will be the first online sportsbook to open in Illinois since William Hill. The state’s numbers have seen a slight decrease following several months of explosive growth.

As we expect Barstool to be successful, its launch should raise the ceiling of sports betting in Illinois.

This also applies to BetMGM and Unibet, which are the next two operators we anticipate seeing in Illinois. Now that FanDuel has officially transferred its license to its race track, it shouldn’t be long before BetMGM Illinois is in operation.