Pritzker Removes In-Person Sportsbook Registration Requirement Through Sept. 19

A surprise executive order from Gov. JB Pritzker, accompanied by a late Friday tweet, heralds a fantastic weekend ahead for Illinois sports bettors.

Executive order removes in-person registration requirement

Jeremy Kudon posted the following tweet late Friday afternoon:

Kudon, a sports betting lobbyist for Orrick, often represents firms such as DraftKings and FanDuel on issues relating to sports betting and daily fantasy sports nationwide. This influence has drawn attention to a recent executive order issued by Pritzker, which outlines a series of state actions in response to the coronavirus.

The order includes a renewal of Executive Order 2020-41 that paused the need for in-person registration at Illinois sportsbooks. This suspension will remain in place until at least Sept. 19.

In his comments to Play Illinois last month, Kudon expressed criticism towards Governor Pritzker for lifting the in-person suspension.

“I fail to comprehend why the governor is restricting contact in various situations, but seemingly approves of people gathering in casinos. It’s not right for Illinois to compel people to visit casinos for activities that can easily be accomplished via mobile phones.”

It’s unclear why EO 2020-41 was initially lifted. Rivers Sportsbook representatives asserted that they did not ask for the order’s removal. Pritzker’s office stated that the Governor assumed the order was no longer needed when casinos reopened during the state’s Phase 4 reopening plan.

With COVID-19 cases rising, Pritzker taking more action

The number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois has been on an upward trend for the past two months and currently exceeds 215,000 cases. This consistent increase in new cases has prompted Pritzker to respond with a new executive order, EO 2020-52.

The Casino Queen in East St. Louis was already grappling with heightened restrictions imposed by Pritzker earlier in the week. Encouraging patrons to visit the casino to sign up for DraftKings Sportsbook amidst these new limitations didn’t communicate a very coherent message from Springfield. Now, with this latest order, Illinois sports bettors have at least a month to set up online sportsbook accounts at BetRivers and DraftKings, without the need to visit the casino.

What does this mean for IL online betting?

Although the order may remain effective for over a month, operators outside the state will still face a narrow timeframe to initiate and compete with BetRivers and DraftKings. PointsBet, already nearing its launch, might be the next one to kick-off. Yet, considering the recent news about FanDuel’s collaboration with Par-A-Dice Casino, it appears there’s another potential group that could swiftly transition to mobile operations in Illinois.