Heating Up: PointsBet Obtains Sports Betting Permit, Ramping Up Race For Illinois Dominance

Millions of dollars in control will be the reward in the competition to become the top sports betting site in Illinois.

PointsBet Sportsbook is currently facing a challenge in that contest.

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has authorized PointsBet to carry out both online and offline betting. The technician may receive a significant share of the state-of-the-art control.

Illinois’s progress for the PointsBet Sportsbook

Rather than waiting to obtain a standalone, online-only license in Illinois, PointsBet has followed in the footsteps of DraftKings and WilliamHill, making its entry into the Prairie State.

PointsBet has a deal in place to operate within HawthorneRacecourse, located in Cicero, a suburb in southwest Chicago. Once the sportsbook is activated, PointsBet will establish its presence in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and New Jersey.

The crucial question is if PointsBet will operate more alike in Iowa than it does in Indiana and New Jersey. PointsBet offers a mobile sports betting app in both Indiana and New Jersey.

PointsBet Iowa customers have the option to access the casino either in person or online. This could potentially be the future route for Illinois as well.

A substantial similarity exists between the two claims.

Similar to IA, IL also mandates in-person registration for online betting. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. JB Pritzker has temporarily lifted this requirement. Pritzker has the authority to reinstate this order whenever he deems necessary.

The measure remains effective in Illinois until the inauguration of its first online sportsbook. Despite Iowa’s mandate expiring on January 1st, under Illinois law, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) is unable to issue such registration until 540 days have passed since April 9 of this year. This date marks the first land-based bet made by RiversCasino.

PointsBet may delay the launch of mobile apps in Illinois until the demand for in-person services dwindles. As of now, there is no clear timeline for when betting will commence in the Land of Lincoln.

IL books’ release time is also unknown.

PointsBet remains silent on when it plans to start accepting bets in Illinois. Despite the desirable location of the Hawthorne near Chicago, there are still factors that need to be considered.

The unpredictable situation of major US sporting events is one issue. More college conferences are either canceling or delaying sports, and the schedules of other leagues are in a state of uncertainty.

For instance, Major League Soccer has been forced to delay matches and exclude teams from its current tournament. PointsBet might consider holding back a significant launch in IL until the situation is more stable.

PointsBet initially aimed to go live this month. However, that was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nonetheless, delaying could also come at a cost. The transition from July to August may present a great opportunity to begin, especially near Chicago, if sports teams fare well.

Reports suggest that the NBA is contemplating creating a second “bubble” for the eight teams who won’t be participating in the league’s resumption in Chicago. This could be an almost tailor-made opportunity for those considering moving to Illinois to place a life bet.

Moreover, there is a mounting pressure to prevent BetRivers, currently the only online sportsbook operating in Illinois, from gaining a significant lead in market share. This pressure is likely to escalate if competitors like DraftKings or William Hill venture into the Illinois market in the near future.

Although the worth of the option is undeniable, the Chicago sports business is still up for grabs. There are, however, lingering queries about when and how PointsBet will become operational in the state.