Pritzker Extends Illinois Mobile Sports Betting Registration, Which Is Great News For Barstool

Mobile sports betting registration in Illinois has been extended once again by Gov. JB Pritzker, this time till at least April 3.

The online registration system has been implemented since late August 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the COVID-19 situation in Illinois is improving, Pritzker opted to extend the registration period.

This is not only significant for existing sportsbooks in Illinois, but it is even more critical for potential new operators.

Barstool has announced its intentions to launch its sportsbook in Illinois imminently, with BetMGM Sportsbook potentially not far behind.

Registering online is crucial for gaining new customers, particularly as the five current online sportsbooks in Illinois have been able to register people remotely for several months.

Let’s delve deeper into Pritzker’s decision.

COVID-19 situation looks much better in Illinois

Despite the rapidly improving COVID-19 numbers in Illinois, Pritzker extended mobile registration.

As of Thursday, the seven-day rolling positivity rate hit a record low of 2.4%.

To provide some context, Pritzker reintroduced in-person registration in late July, at a time when the state positivity rate was approximately 3%.

In late August, he reversed it when the positivity rate climbed to approximately 4%. Since then, Pritzker hasn’t altered his course.

Considering the relatively low cases in the Land of Lincoln at present, this decision was inevitably going to have a significant impact on the immediate future of online sports betting registration.

Now that we’ve had several months of online registration, it’s unlikely that there’s still lobbying for in-person sign-up; however, this wasn’t always the case.

Nevertheless, Pritzker faced significant criticism for his decision in July, given that we were still grappling with a lethal pandemic.

What does the future hold?

The future COVID-19 situation in Illinois could potentially improve in the upcoming months, given that new variants don’t emerge. However, it’s difficult to state this with absolute certainty.

Currently, Illinois ranks averagely in its efforts to vaccinate its residents. However, President Joe Biden has recently stated that by the end of May, there will be sufficient vaccine supply for every adult in America.

That’s fantastic news, but what implications would it have for online registration?

In-person registration was always set to conclude by fall 2021, and we are now less than six months away from September.

Given the duration we’ve had mobile registration, reverting now might seem illogical. However, the situation, as ever, remains changeable.

Extension crucial for Barstool

Barstool is targeting March for its launch in Illinois.

If Pritzker had reinstated in-person registration, it would have been a catastrophe for bettors on Barstool Sportsbook.

It will have a significant retail sportsbook presence in Illinois, thanks to its partnerships with Hollywood Casino Aurora, Hollywood Casino Joliet, and Argosy Casino Alton.

Nevertheless, the convenience of registering and betting from your own home far outweighs that of a retail presence. Every month, over 90% of bets placed by Illinoisans are made online.

Barstool is poised to register numerous new users now that online registration is available. As March Madness approaches, the anticipation for a new casino debut could be high among Illinois residents, given that they haven’t had a new one since mid-September.

We are also visible on BetMGM as FanDuel officially hands over its sports betting license to its track.

BetMGM may need to expand again in four weeks, but there’s a chance it could begin sooner.