Illinois Governor Lifts Ban On In-State College Betting
Bettors in Illinois can now wager on in-state college teams.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed HB 3136, which allows for betting on popular teams like DePaul, Northwestern, University of Illinois, and Loyola-Chicago.
The new law, however, comes with a few caveats.
Limitations on Illinois college sports betting
Those looking to wager on Illinois collegiate teams can only do so at retail sportsbooks. Additionally, wagers will be limited to the outcome of games, meaning no player pro-bets will be permitted.
Although most Illinois sports betting is done through mobile apps, college betting will be the exception.
State Rep. Mike Zalewski, a long-time advocate for lega
lized sports betting, said the bill,
“Struck the right balance between a modern sports betting market and player safety.”
Having launched in March 2020, the IL sports betting market is already one of the top three markets in the US. Last month, sportsbooks combined $840 million in sports betting handle.
Currently, there are six online sportsbooks in the state:
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- PointsBet Sportsbook
- BetRivers Sportsbook
- Caesars Sportsbook
- Barstool Sportsbook
The return of online registration in Illinois
Lastly, just in time for March Madness betting, the bill does away with in-person registration for sports betting accounts. Beginning March 5, 2022, residents and guests to Illinois can now sign up for an account from anywhere in the state.
Those looking to place bets in person can do so at eight locations:
- Hollywood Casino Aurora
- Rivers Casino
- Grand Victoria Casino
- Casino Queen
- Par-A-Dice Casino
- FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing
- Hawthorne Race Course
- Argosy Casino Alton
- Hollywood Casino Joliet
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