As Expected, Pritzker Extends Illinois Mobile Sports Betting Registration Until January

Although it was a formality this day, Illinois online sports betting enrollment has now been extended until January 9.

Since Gov. JB Pritzker closed Illinois casinos in November, the extension of his executive order 2020-41 was expected.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, online registration has been available since late August. This has allowed Illinois to emerge as the fastest-growing sports betting market in the US.

The reopening date for casinos remains uncertain. Despite a downward trend in COVID-19 positivity rates in Illinois since its peak in mid-November, the state is still within the 10% range. So, it’s unlikely for Illinois casinos to resume operations anytime soon. It’s worth noting that the last time Governor Pritzker lifted a casino shutdown, the positivity rate in Illinois was at 2.6%.

The registration for intelligent sports betting should persist, especially while casinos remain shut. Industry insiders predict the emergence of impressive figures in forthcoming earnings reports due to this.

Will new providers be able to profit from this?

We know of three users planning to launch in Illinois in 2021.

Those are the Unibet sportsbook, the Bet MGM sportsbook, and Barstool.

Unibet, in partnership with retail partner Argosy Casino Alton, is on the clear track to launch. They have already applied for their master license and are now just awaiting approval from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB).

We can also deduce that once FanDuel transfers its sportsbook license to its racetrack, BetMGM will likely target Par-A-Dice Casino.

It appears that Barstool will be collaborating with Penn National Gaming, one of the entities in the Hollywood gambling scene.

The question facing the trio now is, can they launch in time to benefit from mobile registration? It can be assumed that this will continue throughout the winter, given that the COVID-19 vaccine(s) are expected to be accessible to the public by spring.

It should also be pointed out that the in-person registration was never intended to be a long-term solution and should no longer be a concern by the next football season. However, if these books don’t become available until spring, could they end up in a difficult position? It’s a possibility.

However, considering the extent of time portable enrollment has been implemented due to the pandemic, it’s possible that resuming in-person registration may not be an option at all. Additionally, it could be that the “cat is now out of the bag.”

Numerous factors are in effect. However, it can be confidently stated that the earlier these sportsbooks commence, the greater their likelihood of success.

Sports gambling in Illinois is booming.

The Illinois sports betting market is thriving, largely due to mobile registration.

In September, The Land of Lincoln, ranking third in the US sports gambling market, recorded a handle of $305.2 million.

If we follow the path of other states, it is anticipated that the number will significantly increase in October, November, and December.

We should soon receive data for October, where we will likely observe another monthly record.