BetRivers Sportsbook Live In Illinois With No In-Person Strings Attached

Approximately three months prior, Rivers Casino made history as the first retail sportsbook in Illinois to accept a legal bet. Then, on Thursday, June 18 at 10 a.m. CT, BetRivers made another breakthrough by becoming the state’s first online sportsbook to accept legal wagers.

After receiving regulatory approval and support from the office of IL Gov. JB Pritzker, residents and visitors in Illinois are now able to place online bets starting today. However, one of these conditions will only be temporary.

BetRivers ready to take bets online in Illinois

Pritzker’s suspension of the state’s in-person registration requirement for sports betting apps earlier this month undoubtedly paved the way for BetRivers to expand into IL at a much quicker pace.

Pritzker’s executive order allows Illinois residents to handle all their transactions with BetRivers IL entirely online. This includes everything from account registration and deposits, to placing bets and withdrawing winnings.

This is critical as, even though the Illinois Gaming Board has issued guidelines for the reopening of casinos and racetracks within the state, it does not provide a timeline. The exact reopening date for gaming facilities in Illinois remains unknown.

If Pritzker hadn’t issued his order, Illinoisans wouldn’t currently have any legal options to bet on sports events. BetRivers’ efforts to enter the market are another crucial element in this situation. Some relevant information is also available for IL bettors.

How to bet on BetRivers IL

Residents of Illinois can use BetRivers from any location within the state by simply visiting BetRivers.com on a desktop computer, Android, or Apple mobile device. To wager on their mobile devices, Android users need to visit BetRivers.com to download the new Illinois-specific app. Even if users have previously downloaded BetRivers Android apps while in other states, they will still need to download the app specifically designed for Illinois.

Users of Apple devices can sign up and place bets using the browsers on their mobile devices. Similar to other states, to access the site on your iPhone browser, you must download a third-party app named GeoGuard from GeoComply. This app swiftly synchronizes with the Rivers website, enabling betting directly from the browser.

BetRivers anticipates launching its iOS app for Illinois shortly.

All new IL users are being offered a one-time deposit matching bonus of $250 by BetRivers.

Bettors in IL can utilize that bonus to place bets on a wide range of events online. However, the convenience of online registration might only be available for a short period in IL.

The in-person registration requirement may return

Pritzker’s order does not abolish the in-person registration requirement in Illinois. It simply momentarily prevents the state from implementing that part of the law. Furthermore, the order only remains effective as long as Pritzker’s coronavirus restrictions are in place.

Of course, by then, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines should be back in operation. Illinoisans will then have the opportunity to finalize their registrations at the retail sportsbook. There’s a chance that certain situations could potentially end this requirement.

The requirement for in-person betting is removed once the IGB grants the first of three independent, digital-only sportsbook operator licenses. The law in IL mandates the board to delay the issuance of that license for 540 days after retail books commence accepting bets.

The timeline for that period began on April 9 when Rivers launched its retail sportsbook. Therefore, if Pritzker’s directive extends beyond this timeframe and the IGB grants an online-only license, Illinois residents may never need to comply with the requirement to be physically present.

The occurrence of that situation largely relies on the pandemic status in IL. The reduction of COVID-19 cases in the state would be highly beneficial, despite the potential return of the in-person registration requirement.