What’s Going On With The 3 Online-Only Sports Betting Licenses In Illinois?

When in-person sports betting registration went away for good on March 5, it signaled a new Illinois sports betting industry era. Finally, the market could reach its full potential.

Residents even got a new sportsbook then in BetMGM Illinois. And Caesars Sportsbook, which was technically already in the Land of Lincoln, released a new and improved product that should make it more of a player in IL.

Illinois just has seven website casinos, though. That is not very many when compared to other major businesses. For instance, Colorado has 26.

If you read the Sports Wagering Act, you might be surprised to learn that three more should be arriving in Illinois right away.

In December, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) announced that three anonymous operators had applied for online-only licenses. And based on the bill, it seemed possible we would at least learn their identities by early March.

From the Sports Wagering Act’s Sections 25 through 45:

& ldquo: The Board must receive applications for the initial competitive selection that take place after this Act’s effective date within 540 days of the first license issued in accordance with the Act in order to be eligible. Within 630 days of the first certificate being issued under this Act, the Board must declare the winning bidders for the first competitive choice. This time frame may be extended at the board’s discretion. & rdquo,

First December saw the 540-day level. First March saw the 630-day mark, but we haven’t heard much about where the procedure stands.

It appears that & ldquo is working hard in this area, with the board andr quo having the option to extend this time frame.

IGB remains silent on the matter.

An IGB spokesperson told Play Illinois when asked about the process:

& ldquo, Once the necessary legal requirements have been satisfied, the news of the online-only sports wager operator license applicants will be made public. The IGB & rsquo’s website will be updated with any announcements. & rdquo,

This isn’t the first time we’ve encountered this kind of scenario in Illinois. The IGB repeatedly delayed deadlines for new casino license applicants, leading key people in the south suburban process to write angry op-eds.

The IGB was supposed to respond to casino applicants within a year of receiving its materials, but the bill regarding the board & rsquo’s discretion contains similar language. More than two years after submitting the initial program, the final outcome was a choice.

If we’re applying the same standard here, there’s no telling when the board might make a decision on the pending sports betting applicants. The good news is that evaluating a sports betting applicant is a far simpler process than evaluating a casino applicant, but it’s clear that the 630-day “deadline” didn’t hold much weight.

Potential applicants for Illinois activities gambling certificates

We are unsure of which three businesses applied for online licenses for even sports betting, but we can make educated guesses.

Here are a few contenders:

• The Bally Bet
• WynnBet
• Fox Bet
• Nugget of gold
• Betway
• Betfred

The release of these certificates was initially intended to result in continuous online enrollment in Illinois. Because of a congressional correct That is no longer the case in HB 3136 & nbsp.

However, more casinos result in more consumer outlines and promotions as well as higher state taxes. Therefore, getting them sooner rather than later would be wonderful.