BREAKING: One New Sportsbook Is Coming To Illinois, And You’ve Probably Never Heard Of It

Illinois’ Caliente Interactive, also known as & ldquo, Caliplay, is likely to launch a new online sportsbook. But, Illinois sports bettors might be dissatisfied that there won’t be any more in the near future.

At a meeting on Thursday, the Illinois Gaming Board ( IGB ) announced that Caliente had been chosen as the sole winner for an online-only license. A Mexican-based controller called Caliente is not already active in the US. Its second state would be Illinois.

Although it does not equate to last licensing, this is a vital step. It might indicate that Caliente may move to Illinois in the upcoming month.

Just three certificates were available online. While the IGB rejected Fubo Sportsbook & rsquo’s application, one mystery applicant withdrew its bid during the procedure. The various two certificates are still active, according to IGB Administrator Marcus Fruchter, who will provide more information later.

With the addition of Caliente, there should soon be eight online sportsbooks in IL. Despite flirting with the No. 2 sports betting handle in the US on a monthly basis, Illinois hasn’t had very many options compared to other states.

Although it is growing, that amount is still fairly small. Here is what we currently know about Caliente, which is essentially unfamiliar in the US.

Caliente is the top sportsbook in Mexico.

Caliente Interactive refers to itself as & ldquo, a major provider of online gaming and sports betting in Mexico. & rdquo,

In Mexico, Austria, Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the Caribbean, it operates off-track gambling and betting businesses.

Caliente is part of Grupo Caliente, which was founded in 1916 in Tiajuana. Here is how Caliente describes itself on Linkedin:

A market leader in the regulated Mexican online casino and sports betting industry is Caliente Interactive (& ldquo, Caliplay & rtquo ). Caliplay runs some websites that provide a variety of online gaming enjoyment services, such as sports betting, casino games, slots, live game, and mobile betting. Its main focus is marketing and user experience. The Caliente company, which is associated with Caliplay, has a long history that dates back to 1916 and has steadily spread to many Mexican states as well as numerous Central and South American nations. Leading responsible gambling methods are what Caliplay is dedicated to offering.

How did we arrive around?

Originally, the issuance of an online-only license was supposed to trigger the removal of in-person sports betting registration.

But, things did not go according to plan for the rules. There were supposed to be 18 months of in-person membership when sports betting first became available in Illinois in March 2020. Finally, the IGB may distribute the online-only licenses, and everyone would sign up online.

But COVID – 19 unavoidably occurred. Illinois Governor as a result The in-person registration requirement will be suspended by JB Pritzker for about seven weeks. the likes of FanDuel, DraftKings, etc. were able to give sports betting by partnering with gambling. They were able to dominate the market in the Land of Lincoln after virtual registration was made available.

Fast-forward to this past fall, and the Illinois legislature voted to give a firm end date for in-person registration: March 5.

A new casino in a large market is also important even though this news doesn’t have the same implications as it otherwise would. Observing how Caliente competes in a thriving Illinois industry will be amazing.