The Illinois gambling industry is thriving, despite the frustrating journey it took to get here.
Video gaming terminals (VGTs) and sports betting in Illinois are flourishing, with optimism for the future in 2022 despite the requirement for in-person registration for sports betting.
Let’s delve into some of the top gaming news stories in Illinois for 2021. Here are the highlights.
Flip-flopping in-person membership
Hopefully, this will be the final month we have to endure reading this.
Illinois implemented online registration for the first quarter of 2021. In March, the state achieved a record-breaking sports betting handle of $633.6 million.
After vaccines became readily accessible, Gov. JB Pritzker decided to reintroduce in-person registration, believing that it would allow people to safely visit casinos and retail sportsbooks for sign-ups as outlined in the Sports Wagering Act.
After more than seven months, in-person account registration is still available but will soon be phased out.
In October, HB 3136 was passed by the legislature, setting March 5, 2022, as the deadline for in-person registration, among other stipulations.
If you happen to be one of the rare individuals interested in that type of activity, raise a glass in remembrance of in-person registration and heel.
Betting on college team in Illinois is then permitted.
However, it is important to note that there is a significant caveat. Betting on Illinois school teams has been legalized for individuals by HB 3136.
The clause will expire on July 1, 2025. At that point, the government will determine whether to extend the requirement for in-person betting, abolish betting on college teams altogether, or expand the policy to include online wagering.
If you’re looking to place bets on Illinois, Northwestern, Loyola Chicago, etc., using your mobile device, this is a positive move in the right direction.
Most people who enjoy betting on Illinois sports using gambling software may find this news to be unremarkable. However, there is a high likelihood that betting on Illinois school sports will be completely legalized by 2025.
significant game registration changes
The Sports Wagering Act of 2019 approved six new Illinois game licenses, but the department faced challenges in efficiently conducting its operations.
However, we experienced a sudden breakthrough in 2021. The major media highlights were:
- Hard Rock received the Rockford casino license from the Illinois Gaming Board( IGB ). In the slide, the makeshift game opened.
- Walker & Bluff also obtained the Williamson County casino license from the IGB.
- The winners of the casino licenses for Waukegan and Southern Residential areas have been announced. The South suburbs winners are American Place Casino in Waukegan, Wind Creek Casino in Homewood, and East Hazel Crest.
- There were five casino bids submitted to the city of Chicago: two from Bally’s, two from Rush Street Gaming, and one from Hard Rock.
The city has also approved an ordinance that removes the ban on sports betting in Chicago.
This means that Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, the United Center, and other sports venues are able to open retail sportsbooks, which has not pleased Rush Street co-founder Neil Bluhm.
Does Arlington Park and Hellip get sold to the Bears?
Arlington Park, one of the country’s most renowned horse racing tracks, is reportedly up for sale by Churchill Downs in early 2021.
The news was already significant on its own, but it became even more exciting when we learned that the Chicago Bears were interested. Several months later, the Bears sealed the deal by signing a purchasing agreement for the land.
The agreement has not been fully confirmed, but the two parties have come to an agreement. It is a major milestone for the Bears to transition from Soldier Field to the cities.
Moreover, the horse racing economy in Illinois is further affected by the fact that only Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney and FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing in Collinsville are the remaining tracks operating in the state.
Hawthorne’s record in the Chicagoland region suffers due to the fact that Collinsville is located in southern Illinois.
Illinois sports wagering potency as a whole
Despite the cumbersome in-person registration policy, the Land of Lincoln had a phenomenal sports betting year when looking at the numbers.
At the moment, we are awaiting revenue reports for November and December. However, in October, the Illinois sports betting market saw a record-breaking $840.4 million in handle, exceeding the previous record by over $200 million.
IL could potentially reach $1 billion in 2022, possibly as early as March. The reopening of online registration is expected to lead to the opening of several casinos the following month.
Illinois falls behind New Jersey and Nevada in terms of sports betting handle. It will be interesting to see how the launch of sports betting in New York affects New Jersey’s numbers.
Sports betting is extremely popular in Illinois, prompting us to consider what other forms of gambling could also thrive in the state. Perhaps online gambling could be the next big success.
In 2021, multiple proposals were put forth, but none gained traction. The Illinois entertainment industry is presently ruled by sports betting and Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs).
