Governor Allows Online Registration for Illinois Mobile Betting

Sports bettors are happy because Illinois governor allows online registration for mobile gaming. Governor J.B. Pritzker issued the new order last June in a time when casinos remained closed due to the pandemic.

The new order will help the Illinois sports wagering industry, which the state launched last March 9. However, casinos closed the following week. As a result, the state’s sports betting sector didn’t grow as expected.

Despite the slow start of sports betting in the state, the governor’s order will inject new blood into the industry. Sports bettors don’t need to go to casinos to sign up for an account. All they need to do is to register online and start betting.

Illinois Governor Allows Online Registration

The new order of Governor Pritzker will bring sports betting revenue even when casinos are still closed. In Illinois, players need to register an account at a retail sportsbook, according to sportsbook pay per head reports. When the state passed the sports wagering law, it gave retail sports an 18-month period before the mobile sportsbook can open shop.

Based on sources of sportsbook pay per head services providers, lawmakers thought that the grace period would help casinos build up their player base. That way, they can be competitive against major mobile operators, such as DraftKings and FanDuel.

A political forum learned that the only sportsbook operating before the coronavirus pandemic in Des Plaines was BetRivers.com. It owns a temporary license and needs to apply for a permanent permit once the temporary one expires.

However, no mobile sportsbooks are operating in Illinois now. Also, sportsbooks operating today are only on temporary licenses. Due to the grace period, mobile sportsbooks can legally work in the state in 2021.

Thus, the governor’s order will not change anything. Even if players can register online, no online sports betting platforms are operating in the state. Also, retail sportsbooks are still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.