Sportsbooks Cleaned Up On Loyola-Chicago Win Over Illinois, Despite No Action From Illinoisans

On Sunday, Loyola – Chicago defeated Illinois, the NCAA Tournament’s top seed, and US casinos did very well in the contest.

Naturally, they would have gained even more if wagering on in-state college teams had been permitted in Illinois.

However, it is not.

Despite sports betting being legal in Illinois for the first time during March Madness, Illinoisans were unable to place bets on a game where two of the state’s home schools competed against each other.

Embarrassing? Without a doubt.

On the other hand, there was a positive aspect: If you had faith in the Fighting Illini to cover the 7-point line, which most people did not, you could have saved some money.

The Loyola – Chicago victory was significant for casinos.

Illinois posed a significant liability for sportsbooks entering the sport.

Here were the public betting splits on the spread at three of Illinois’ top sportsbooks: DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet.

89 % of funds and 81 % of wagers on Illinois were made by DraftKings.
• 82% of funds and 81% of bets on FanDuel are on Illinois.
• PointsBet reports that 68% of funds and 79% of wagers from Illinois.

If Illinois residents had the option to bet on the sport, it’s impossible to predict how those figures would look.

Considering the size of the two fan bases, it’s hard to envision the Ramblers gaining many fans in Prairie State. If anything, the disparity might have been even larger due to the bigger group of Illini supporters.

Then, how much did users from Illinois lose out on?

We cannot definitively state, but if the lines are linked, it was likely a significant amount.

A DraftKings representative informed Play Illinois:

It’s difficult to come up with a number for what( sportsbooks ) missed specifically, but the IL game from yesterday was our second-biggest game of the day without the help of il user wagers & mdash, which is absurd given that Illinois is one of our most engaging states. We probably would have seen a massive game if state residents had been able to place bets. & rdquo,

DraftKings, which had the most extreme handle splits, is the leading sportsbook in Illinois in terms of monthly handle.

It’s clear why there was significant betting interest when two Illinois schools advanced to the NCAA Tournament in the same year for the first time since 2007, with the game taking place in 2021 on a field.

At last, residents of Illinois will be permitted to legally place bets on their local teams during March Madness.

The Illinois sports gambling college restrictions would be lifted by a bill.

In February, a bill that would permit Illinois residents to wager on their college teams was re-introduced by Illinois State Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D).

Optimism exists that it may be passed in time for the forthcoming college football season. Northwestern, coming off a Citrus Bowl win and an appearance in the Big Ten Championship game, is expected to perform well yet again.

Approximately 25% of the total monthly betting in Illinois is attributed to school betting. It’s evident that the inability to place bets on Illinois, Northwestern, Loyola – Chicago, and so forth, has a significant impact.

The reveal will likely increase in March due to March Madness.

If Zalewski’s bill is approved, we will gain a better understanding of the extent to which sportsbooks are utilized. The state suffered losses due to imposed restrictions.

Oregon State was defeated by Loyola – Chicago in Sweet 16

The Ramblers’ astounding win over Illinois has significantly increased their value in the Sweet 16, according to the bookies.

When you consider sportsbooks from outside the state, Loyola – Chicago is favored by 6.5 points over Oregon State’s 12 seed.

Apart from Oregon State sports, casinos are optimistic about the Ramblers andrquo.

On DraftKings, Loyola – Chicago currently has + 900 odds to win the national championship and + 150 odds to make it to the Final Four.

Of the 16 remaining groups, Loyola has the second shortest odds of winning. Not bad for a team that’s seeded 8th.

The two-seed of the Loyola andrsquo region, Houston, barely got past Rutgers in the Round of 32. The Ramblers are just behind the Cougars, who have a +100 chance to emerge from the Midwest Region.

Should Loyola – Chicago and Houston emerge victorious, they could potentially compete against each other in the Elite Eight on Monday.

Suddenly, residents of Illinois will no longer be able to legally place bets on it. However, we will continue to update you on how the non-Illinois betting public perceives the Rambler team.