Excited Gamblers on a Casino Table Filled with Cards and Chips

Illinois Gamblers Could Get More Information on Betting Habits

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 12 April 2023

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

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A new sports betting bill that has been introduced in Illinois could see sports bettors receiving more information from operators about their spending and usage habits.

Often, bettors lose track of their betting activities and end up spending more time and money on betting sites than they would like to. However, the new bill could help to rectify this by keeping bettors more informed about their activities.

The bill, SB1508, was filed by Senator Bill Cunningham, and its aim is to help reduce the risk of sports betting addiction.

This is a problem that has become prevalent in many states around the country where sports betting has been legalized, and it could make an impact by making sure bettors are fully aware of the time and money they spend on sports betting sites.

Bill SB1508 has now been approved by the Senate, and it is now going through its first reading by the Rules Committee.

Hourly Reminders to Sports Bettors

Under the new bill, mobile sports betting operators would be required to provide information to bettors about their wagering activity at least once every hour.

Cunningham said:

…we need to ensure that we are also addressing the potential harms associated with gambling addiction. By requiring sports wagering apps to display a pop-up message with resources for gambling addiction assistance, we can help individuals who may be struggling with problem gambling access the help they need.

As part of the new rules under the bill, Illinois bettors would be alerted to the amount of money they have spent since they accessed the app. In addition to providing information on the amount of money spent and the amount of time spent on the apps, operators will also have to provide links to gambling addiction resources. These changes will help to ensure improved user safety when sport betting in Illinois.

According to Cunningham, the state makes a lot of money from online sports betting activities. As such, it has a responsibility to help those who are at risk of or already experiencing gambling addiction problems.

He added that policymakers had to acknowledge that they had some responsibility that came from the legalization of sports betting in the state. Cunningham said that part of this responsibility was to ensure those who were experiencing gambling issues had easy access to the help and support they needed.

A Growing Problem Around the Nation

Over the past couple of years, many states have legalized online sports betting, and this has raised concerns over the risk of problem gambling. It means that people now have easy access to sports betting platforms, which means that they are more likely to engage in the activity.

In addition, sports betting operators entice new customers on board with exciting advertisements and tempting promotions, which can also lead to people signing up and then developing a gambling problem.

Many states are using various strategies to try to tackle this issue, including strict regulations on advertising language for sports betting operators. They have also put aside funding to provide support and assistance to those who are in need of gambling addiction help.