Updated: Illinois House OKs Limited Betting On In-State College Teams

Written By Joe Boozell on June 1, 2021 – Last Updated on June 2, 2021

On Tuesday night, SB 521 was passed by the Illinois House of Representatives, lifting the ban on in-state school sports betting.

The bill must now be approved by the Senate before it can move on to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for his ultimate signature. SB 521 received overwhelming support in the House, passing with a vote count of 96-11.

The Senate will hold a second vote on SB 521 when they reconvene to address pending issues, as the bill was not discussed during Tuesday’s session. With strong backing in the House, it is likely that SB 521 will be brought up before the autumn.

Finding out that the bill only allows in-person betting on Illinois college teams might be disheartening. You can place bets at Illinois games, racetracks, or off-track betting websites, but not through wireless devices.

Betting on school activities online is permitted in both Iowa and Indiana.

The legislation only allows for “Tier 1” bets, which are limited to wagers on the final score or outcome of a sports event placed before the event begins. This means that player props and live betting are not permitted. It is important to mention that excluding collegiate player props is a standard practice in states with legalized sports betting.

Since the act is set to expire on July 1, 2023, it will essentially act as a trial period. If everything goes according to plan, lawmakers may be more willing to consider allowing online betting for in-state schools.

Where was I place a wager on school teams in Illinois?

As of now, Illinois has nearly twelve brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and six online sportsbooks. These establishments include:

Alton Argosy Casino
Crestwood Club & Hawthorne
Hawthorne Oak Brook Club
The Queen was spotted at the East St. Louis game on DraftKings.
FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing in Collinsville
The Grand Victoria Casino located in Elgin.
Hawthorne Race Course (Stickney)
Aurora Hollywood Casino
Hollywood Casino Joliet
Par-A-Dice Casino located in East Peoria
Grill (Prospect Heights), Player’s,
Des Plaines’ Rivers Casino

If the bill is passed, Illinois bettors will be able to wager on college teams such as Northwestern, Illinois, and Northern Illinois just in time for the upcoming fall college football season.

What else does SB 521 contain?

The sole gaming feature of SB 521 is placing bets on in-state college sports.

The bill could allow Wintrust Arena, situated in Chicago’s South Loop and serving as the home arena for the Chicago Sky of the WNBA and the DePaul Blue Demons, to obtain a sports betting permit.

At present, no sports venues in Illinois have been granted licenses by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB). Despite this, Wrigley Field plans to submit an application for a license, citing its partnership with DraftKings to open a retail sportsbook on the premises.

Wrigley and DraftKings have not yet submitted a request to the IGB.

Additionally, the bill includes various provisions for the upkeep of video gaming terminals (VGTs), casinos, horse racing, and sports betting.

What & rsquo, is SB 521 not included?

Even though legal sports betting advocates were satisfied with the slight progress made in the in-state college wager policy, there were still numerous important issues left unresolved in the gambling budget.

The act covers every aspect of online gambling, as is only natural given the recent evolution of the process.

A few weeks ago, lawmakers introduced a bill requesting a report on the potential earnings from online casino gaming if it had been legalized before the COVID-19 outbreak. The October 1, 2021 deadline for the report suggests that the legalization of online casinos in Illinois was unlikely to happen during this legislative session.

The bill fails to include provisions for online sports betting registration. Additionally, Illinois legislators are placing a strong emphasis on in-person betting, particularly in relation to wagering on local colleges.

Hence, it seems that in-person registration will continue until early 2022 at the least. Once the IGB can issue a mobile-only license, it will allow for online sign-ups for everyone.

Of course, this depends on whether someone decides to apply for a mobile-only license, which may not be guaranteed given their monthly earnings of $20 million.

supporters and opponents of in-state school bets in Illinois

State Representative Michael J. Zalewski led the effort to legalize betting on in-state college games in Illinois. While his initial proposal included online betting, that provision was ultimately not passed during the legislative session.

Illinois bettors will be able to place wagers on state college games in about 5 hours following personal approval from Gov. Pritzker.

You can only access it in person at a racetrack, casino, or OTB.

I am ready for your high energy, @JoeO670.

Hello and good day.

On June 1, 2021, Michael J. Zalewski posted this tweet (@mjzalewski).

State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, a strong advocate for legislation, also helped sponsor Zalewski’s initial bill and voiced his backing for legalization during an April House Executive Committee Hearing.

The main opponents of legal in-state school bets in Illinois were the sports managers of Division I universities.

During the reading, Josh Whitman, the chairman of Illinois Athletics, spoke on behalf of all 13 D1 athletic executives.

Here’s a passage from:

Student athletes frequently prioritize their phones, using social media to shape their self-perceptions. This is a common challenge in today’s college sports landscape. Allowing individuals to bet on our student athletes in our state only encourages harmful interactions. My colleagues and I vehemently oppose this.

In the end, it appears that a short-term deal will be possible, leading to the potential for legalized in-state college sports betting websites to emerge down the line.