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Caesars Sportsbook is now available in Illinois, with expectations that it will have a more significant impact on the market than before.
In September 2020, William Hill started operating in Illinois before transitioning into Caesars by William Hill. The rebranding to just “Caesars” has now been successfully finalized.
The William Hill Caesars app is no longer active in Illinois. Residents can now download the enhanced Caesars Sportsbook app. Current users should have received an email with instructions, and their account balances will be transferred to the new app within one to two days.
Illinois has permanently shifted back to online sports betting registration, with BetMGM Sportsbook becoming the seventh online sportsbook to launch in the state.
Just like BetMGM, Caesars is establishing a presence in Illinois with a fresh sign-up promotion. Here are the important details you should know.
Caesars Illinois promotion details
Caesars’ social media platforms have announced that new users in Illinois will receive a bonus bet of $1,100.
Here’s how it works:
- You make a deposit using the app.
- Enter the promo code when asked, and your initial bet will receive a bonus.
- If you win your bet, you keep the earnings. If you lose, you have the opportunity to wager the money again, similar to receiving a mulligan in sports betting.
The college basketball conference tournaments are currently in full swing, with games happening all day leading up to Sunday. It’s an exciting time of year.
Caesars/William Hill up to this point
It will be interesting to see if Caesars can make a comeback in Illinois after being overlooked up to this point.
Caesars/William Hill did not surpass the $10 million monthly threshold in Illinois until November 2021, and they were able to achieve this again in December. In comparison, DraftKings, the market leader, typically maintains a monthly handle of around $300 million.
Although Caesars/William Hill has consistently been ranked last among mobile sportsbooks, this underperformance offers a significant potential for expansion. This is especially evident as Caesars has not yet entered the Illinois sports betting market.
This scenario is not consistent throughout the US. Take New York, for instance, where Caesars holds a strong market share. However, in other states, Caesars has focused on advertising and has recently pledged to reduce this spending to appease investors.
Caesars has not actively engaged in the strong Illinois market, despite its ranking as one of the top four national markets. However, due to timing considerations, there is a possibility that Caesars may reconsider its approach. This prompts the question: could Illinois potentially experience a decrease in activity from Caesars?
Competition can enhance the success of a sports betting market, and Caesars’ additional efforts will strengthen this impact even more.