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Illinois Gaming Board Opens Applications Online Betting

Illinois Gaming Board Opens Applications for Mobile-Only Betting Operators

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 18 August 2021

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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Gaming regulators in the state of Illinois have now opened up applications for mobile-only sports betting operators. This means that sports fans in the state will be able to look forward to more choices when it comes to mobile sports betting, but for operators, the license does come with a very steep price tag.

The move marks an important step for sports betting in the state. Once the first mobile-only sports betting license has been awarded by the state, the need for in-person registration for existing licensees will be eliminated. This is something that will benefit both sports betting operators and fans who want to get greater ease and convenience.

Application Window Open Until December

A notice was posted informing operators that the window for applications would be open until early December. It also stated that, by law, all qualified and disqualified bidders for licenses would have to be publicly announced within 48 hours of the closing date by the Illinois Gaming Board. Three winning bidders will then be announced within 90 days of this notification.

The notice stated that the application window:

…will be open for 120 days, with applications due no later than Dec. 3. Within 48 hours after that deadline, state law requires the IGB to announce publicly all qualified and disqualified bidders for the license. Then, within 90 days of that announcement, the board must identify three winning bidders.

In addition to the notice, the IGB posted two application forms for those interested in applying for online licenses. One is a shorter application form for operators that already have a license in Illinois, while the other was a longer form for those who are starting from scratch.

It is reported that the state will award the three licenses to sports betting operators and that they do not need to be in a partnership with an existing venue such as a casino or racetrack.

However, the downside is that in order to get a mobile-only license, operators will have to pay a whopping $20 million with a further $1 million renewal fee every four years.

Online Registration Will Come as Good News

Once the process goes through and in-person registration is no longer required, this will come as welcome news for sports fans and operators alike.

For much of last year, sports bettors were able to avoid the need to register in person because of the global pandemic. An executive order was signed by the state governor because casinos were closed for several months, which meant that in-person registration was not possible.

Despite casinos opening up in the run-up to summer, the executive order was extended by the governor because of the ongoing threat of the virus and in a bid to control the spread. However, as COVID-19 restrictions began to be eased, the need to register in person was brought back into force.

If this requirement is eliminated again for existing licensees, it would mean that they can potentially boost customer numbers, and sports fans can enjoy greater ease and convenience.