Illinois Casinos Close Just As Legal Sports Betting Begins In The State

At the Illinois Gaming Board’s demand, Illinois casinos started a 14-day closing on Monday as the nation continues to experience more lockdowns and closures following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Rivers Casino in Des Plaines suspended its operations with a press release on Friday before an announcement from the Illinois Gaming Board. This came shortly after most of the sports leagues and organizations in the country announced cancellations and suspensions, making sportsbooks temporarily inactive outside of futures bets.

In the best interests of our staff members, visitors, and the Chicagoland community, we are partially closing Rivers Casino Des Plaines on Sunday, March 15, for a period of fourteen days. Despite the fact that there haven’t been any COVID-19 cases at the house, we’re suspending operations out of extreme caution and to encourage the cultural seclusion that health officials advise. During this time, Rivers will give all 1,500 River Team Members their complete pay and benefits, including heads. Changes will be posted as they become available. & rdquo,

Soon after, the Illinois Gaming Board took action and mandated that all Illinois casinos close on Monday, effectively moving Rivers & rsquo, which moved the closure date back by one day.

 

Fresh sportsbooks’ hard timing

After a protracted process that was finally completed in time to accept bets for March Madness, the biggest sports betting event in the US due to its length and number of games, Rivers had just opened Illinois & rsquo, its first sportsbook, on March 9. The NCAA put an end to that chance when it canceled the NCAA Tournament next year, following the cancellation of the majority of conferences’ conference tournaments due to the coronavirus’s expanding outbreak.

Governor of Illinois J.. Rivers claimed that B. Pritzker properly decided to close all events with more than 1,000 attendees when he announced on Thursday that they should be canceled.

On Monday at Rivers, NHL legend Eddie Olczyk placed the first legal sports wager in Illinois.

However, MLB announced a wait before the NHL was formally suspended on Thursday. After Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID – 19 on Wednesday evening, the NBA was the first to take immediate action. Within the following 24 time, the majority of the sporting industry was effectively shut down as a result of that positive test.

 

Beginning of the Argosy Casino Alton casino was delayed

The Argosy Casino Altonwas gearing up to be the second sportsbook opened in Illinois on Monday, but that will now be pushed back to whenever casinos are given the go-ahead to open back up. Given the current scale of the coronavirus pandemic, it can be assumed it will be much longer than the current 14 days ordered from the Illinois Gaming Board.

June has been mentioned by some NBA officials as a potential profit. On Sunday, the CDC advised against holding activities or groups of 50 or more people for eight days. That would delay the opening of Argosy & rsquo and the return of the state’s 10 casinos until the middle of May.

All of the state & rsquo’s video gaming machines will be shut down, the Illinois Gaming Board also announced on Monday. two days. After Gov., the majority of the systems would already be inaccessible. Pritzker & rsquo has mandated that all bars and restaurants only accept takeout orders.