New Bill Introduced That Would Repeal Illinois Collegiate Wagering Ban

State of Illinois Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D) has introduced a bill that would repeal the prohibition of wagering on in-state collegiate sports.

For example, you currently can’t bet on a Northwestern football game or an Illinois college basketball game in the Land of Lincoln. If Zalewski’s bill is adopted, that would change.

According to Zalewski’s tweet from Saturday night, Here & rsquo:

Today I filed HB5876 which would repeal the prohibition on wagering on in state collegiate games. NCAA athletes were asked to play during COVID. Given that fact, the idea they’d be harmed by wagering is illusory. https://t.co/qMjytt2jMP

— Michael J. Zalewski (@mjzalewski) January 10, 2021

When Illinois Gov. JB Pritzkersigned the Sports Wagering Act into law in 2019, this was one of the more controversial components, along with the in-person registration mandate.

The latest rule’s one goal is to shield college athletes from gaming interests. In his speech, Zalewski makes the case that protecting players is a major concern given the current environment.

The morality of the events is another conceptual goal. However, if they so choose, bad actors may just take their actions to the unchecked market and the black market.

In fact, one could contend that the law currently in place encourages good-faith bettors to act in the illegal market. That & rsquo is undoubtedly problematic.

What would it indicate if this were to pass, then? Here and there, is what we understand.

You may wager on school teams in Illinois.

Legislation passed by Zalewski & rsquo would go into effect right away. Therefore, you could legally wager on any of these clubs:

• Bradley
• State of Chicago
• DePaul
• Illinois in the east
• Illinois
• State of Illinois
• Loyola
• Illinois in the north
• Northwestern
• Illinois’ southeastern region
• Illinois’ southeastern region Edwardsville (SIUE)
• Chicago-based University of Illinois( UIC)
• Illinois in the West

This would be significant in the long-term, but it would also be important right now. Illinois college basketball, for instance, is currently a No. 2 seed in ESPN’s March Madnessbracketology.

As we know, the NCAA Tournament is a wildly popular betting event. Northwestern could also make the NCAA Tournament.

And the Wildcats probably would have attracted a lot of betting curiosity if in-state undergraduate wagering had been permitted during football season.

A small wrinkle, for good measure: We’d also avoid hiccups such as golf bettors not allowed to wager on PGA events when a certain portion of the field isn’t paid due to missing the cut.

The current state law was the cause of the gap, even though that particular issue was resolved.

How this might affect profit in Illinois

In October, Illinois recorded $434.6 millionin handle, the No. 4 mark in the US.

That & rsquo is very impressive given how young the Illinois market is. Removing the in-state undergraduate wager ban would be a good cherry on top as the market matures and the number will increase.

People bet$ 78.7 million on collegiate events on the state & rsquo, which has a$ 434.6 million October handle.

It’s difficult to predict with certainty how many Illinoisans may wager on their local school teams, but eight numbers per month seems reasonable.

The November figures will soon be released, and the State’s monthly handle could be over$ 500 million.

Removing the in-state collegiate wagering ban would be beneficial as IL raises the cost to$ 1 billion.

What regulations apply in different says?

There is a wide range of state-by-state college gambling laws. Related approaches have been taken to the Prairie State by New Jersey, New York, and Washington, DC.

There are no school wagering restrictions in Indiana, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia.

Personal prop bets are not permitted in Iowa, but you can wager on the Cyclones or the Hawkeyes.

Oregon, on the other hand, forbids gambling on college activities in any way.

As this makes its way through the Illinois Legislature, keep checking back for changes.