Golden Nugget Says It’s Coming To Illinois This Year, But Is That Realistic?

Thomas Winter, President of Golden Nugget, revealed during an earnings call this week that the gaming company plans to launch “online sports in Illinois” in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Golden Nugget’s interest in the Illinois market has been evident since signing a market access deal with Danville Development. The required branding will be ready for the potential construction of the Danville casino.

However, despite the demand for another sports betting app in Illinois, certain important factors are preventing Winter from launching as planned.

Let’s explore them further, let’s move forward.

No admittance to the Illinois sports betting industry

The potential new casino in Danville offers Golden Nugget a chance to enter the sports betting market, pending approval from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB).

Golden Nugget and Danville submitted their applications in November 2020, but have not yet been granted licenses by the IGB. Similarly, applicants from as early as October 2019 are still awaiting approval.

Put simply, the IGB may not approve the Danville blackjack right away, and we also need to factor in the time needed for construction.

It is unclear how Golden Nugget intends to quickly establish market presence.

Unless & hellip,

Does Golden Nugget cover the cost of a mobile-only permit?

Is it possible for Golden Nugget to afford the $20 million license fee specifically for mobile devices? The issuance of these certificates could potentially begin in December.

If that is the case, it is likely that the IGB will not grant any licenses until 2022, in accordance with the language of the law. The application process is set to begin in December.

If Golden Nugget is not currently planning a new market access deal, entering the market quickly seems to be the best option.

In addition, the acquisition of the mobile-only license by Golden Nugget would benefit all Illinois sports betting operators by eliminating the need for in-person registration.

Illinois’ Golden Nugget Sportsbook is a very, very long way away.

As of now, Golden Nugget Sportsbook has not submitted an application for a sports betting license in Illinois.

BetMGM and Unibet are the two pending applicants from Illinois. BetMGM submitted their application in September, followed by Unibet in November.

We have not received any updates from the IGB about their program status since then. As a result, the controller may be caught off guard if they are expecting the IGB to act quickly, especially if Golden Nugget is anticipating this.

However, given Winter’s optimistic timeline, it would make sense to consider one of two scenarios.

Golden Nugget may either take over a mobile-only registration once it becomes available or pursue another market access deal. If there is no news about the former in the next few months, it is likely that the latter option will be pursued.

Play Illinois tried to reach out to a representative from Golden Nugget for a statement.

The dream of accessing the sports betting industry through the fictional Danville casino by the end of 2021 remains unfulfilled. The most concerning issue is the lack of understanding about the Illinois market.

Mayor & lsquo, fervently praying for game development in Danville

At the beginning of the month, Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. expressed optimism, stating he is hopeful and eagerly awaiting more details about the city’s casino project to be released in July.

The IGB has scheduled meetings for June 9 and July 14, where they will provide updates on the casino as usual.

As previously mentioned, there has been a dearth of updates over the last two years. The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) declared Hard Rock Casino Rockford as “preliminarily suitable” for a license in February. However, the official license, which stems from the state’s 2019 gaming expansion, has yet to be granted.

Many applicants who applied before Danville have not received a response yet. It appears unlikely that we will hear about game development in Danville from the IGB anytime soon.