Pritzker Extends Mobile Registration; Could Be Green Light For More IL Sportsbooks

Gov. JB Pritzker once again renews his executive order to continue permitting mobile sports betting registration in Illinois.

The executive order will remain effective until, at minimum, November 14. Illinois sports gamblers won’t need to visit a casino to register for an online sports betting account for at least one more month.

The decision was made in light of recent events in Illinois, which recorded its highest seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases to date. The number dramatically increased to 2,642 on October 12.

This is the meaning of the renewal, here.

Illinois is expected to have strong October and November profit numbers.

The Illinois sports betting market recorded a handle of $140 million in August. This was achieved in a context where online registration was not permitted until August 21st, and BetRivers was the only mobile sportsbook that was live throughout the month.

We are yet to receive the figures for September, but they are anticipated to be quite high. Owing to the full-month availability of mobile registration, the presence of five online sportsbooks, and the reappearance of football betting, the handle is expected to soar beyond $200 million.

Pritzker has extended remote registration for another month, so great projections are also anticipated for October and November.

In August, sportsbooks in Illinois generated approximately $7.2 million in revenue. It is anticipated that this figure will reach ten million or more in each of the subsequent three revenue reports.

The increased profits of the sportsbooks result in higher tax revenue for the state. Coupled with the health risks involved, it would have been difficult for Pritzker to justify a return to in-person registration.

opportunity to advance through smart registration

BetRivers dominated the market in August.

It registered a revenue of approximately $118 million, which constituted 84% of Illinois’s total. FanDuel started operations on August 28 and DraftKings wasn’t accessible until August 21.

Though, that is still a ridiculous market share.

Nonetheless, the September profit report could be enlightening.

Then, DraftKings and FanDuel will have completed a full month of mobile registration. Mid-September also saw the launch of PointsBet and William Hill online.

Ever since DraftKings went live, maintaining the in-person registration requirement has been in the best interest of BetRivers.

As can be observed from the August revenue report, there was a significant early surge in customer acquisition in June and July. The retail sportsbook, BetRivers, is also situated in Des Plaines, near Chicago.

On the other hand, downstate games have collaborated with DraftKings and FanDuel.

Each day that smart membership is permitted increases the likelihood of success for sportsbooks that are not BetRivers.

That being said, BetRivers & rsquo, with a significant lead, remains highly popular in Illinois, irrespective of the outcome of in-person registration.

Was fresh operators join the battle?

Considering the popularity of the business, it’s been over a month since a new betting platform was launched in Illinois.

The latest extension from Pritzker & rsquo provides additional motivation for new operators to launch.

Unibet, with market access through Argosy Casino Alton and backed by parent company Penn National Gaming, an Illinois passport holder, is the most likely to be the next launch.

It appears that this would be an ideal opportunity for Barstool. However, it currently has no plans to launch in any new states except Michigan until 2021.

BetMGM is a potential prospect, but it remains uncertain how it will enter the business.