Unibet To ‘Reevaluate’ Illinois Launch Timeline; No Word On BetMGM’s Plans

Due to the reinstatement of the in-person registration requirement, at least one of the two sports betting applicants awaiting approval in Illinois is altering its launch plans.

Unibet, having submitted its application on November 16, 2020, was simply awaiting approval from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) before going live.

Manuel Stan, the Senior Vice President of Unibet US, informed Play Illinois:

“This information is not beneficial for our clients in Illinois as it contradicts our belief in an ideal and seamless mobile experience. We’ll revisit our schedule to launch in Illinois due to this.”

Unibet has secured a market access agreement with Argosy Casino Alton.

Alton is a small town in southwest Illinois with a population of less than 30,000. It is situated about 30 minutes away from St. Louis. However, residents of Missouri cannot download Unibet in Illinois and use it back in their home state due to the fact that sports betting is illegal in Missouri.

Even though Unibet would possess Argosy’s mobile license, Barstool is being used as its retail partner by the casino.

Initially, it’s challenging enough to persuade people to register in person. But it becomes even more baffling when asking them to obtain Unibet at a casino via Barstool Sportsbook.

According to Unibet & rsquo, the most advisable option is either to wait for new legislation or to maintain the hope that someone will eventually shell out $20 million for an online-only license.

This would allow remote registration for everyone.

How does BetMGM fare in Illinois?

Another pending applicant for sports betting in Illinois is BetMGM.

When questioned about this story, BetMGM chose not to comment. Nonetheless, here’s what we understand about the scenario.

BetMGM might be able to attain market access through Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria. This became a possibility when FanDuel transferred its mobile sports betting license to its racetrack, freeing up the Par-A-Dice license.

Par-A-Dice Casino is owned by Boyd Gaming, who has a partnership with BetMGM.

Of course, the issue is that East Peoria is nearly a three-hour drive from the heavily populated Chicago region. This would mean that BetMGM Sportsbook, if it were to enter the Illinois market, would be at a significant disadvantage. This is especially true considering that most existing operators had several months to register users online.

The other option is to shell out more than $20 million for a license that’s only applicable to mobile devices. Among all operators who are currently not based in Illinois, BetMGM probably has one of the most substantial resources.

Disregarding the financial aspect, their issue lies in the fact that companies can register online once a mobile-only license is granted.

However, BetMGM might still consider ‘& rsquo’ as their best option in Illinois. If they don’t start construction in Illinois in the near future, it might indicate their decision.

If a passport is issued exclusively online, it likely won’t become effective until early 2022.

Consider theScore Bet.

TheScore Bet finally secured access to the Illinois market a few weeks ago, courtesy of a partnership with Harrah’s Joliet Casino.

At the time, TheScore expressed its intention to relocate to the Land of Lincoln by the end of the year. A company spokesperson assured that this information does not affect their projected timeline.

Unlike Unibet and BetMGM, theScore Bet has not yet filed a formal passport application. Moreover, as evidenced by the first two, the approval process could be time-consuming.

The growth in sports betting in Illinois was due to more sportsbooks entering the scene, along with the ongoing remote registration.

Not only does in-person registration pose a significant challenge for current operators in attracting new clients, but it also creates an unfavorable market for potential operators.

In January, Illinois was close to reaching a monthly handle of $600 million. The state is likely to surpass that figure with March Madness betting. Nonetheless, the reintroduction of in-person registration could make March the highest point for the state for some time.