Sports Betting Sector in Illinois is Expected to Grow

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Sports Betting Options Could Increase Soon in Illinois

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 06 March 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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Since last year, sports fans in Illinois have been enjoying the chance to register for online sports betting remotely thanks to executive orders from the governor, J.B. Pritzker. The order has been extended several times since it was first brought in, and it has helped to boost the popularity of sports betting in the state.

At present, there are five sportsbooks operating in the state, so sports fans have limited choice. However, according to reports, the number of operators in Illinois is set to increase, and this means that the options will become far more varied for those looking to place bets on their favorite teams and sports.

More Sportsbooks Making Plans to Enter the Illinois Market

Illinois has enjoyed great success with its sports betting, and it ended last year on a very impressive note with a statewide handle of close to half a billion dollars in monthly wagers.

Jessica Welman, an analyst for Play Illinois, said at the time that Illinois had made a real splash in the sports betting market. She added:

But with growth that is expected of any fledgling market, combined with, hopefully, a return to more normal life for everyone, 2020 should be a prologue to a year that has the potential of being one of the most lucrative for any legal jurisdiction.

The market could become even more lucrative given that a number of sportsbook operators are making plans to enter the state. In fact, it is thought that the Barstool app from Penn National Gaming could be up and running within a matter of weeks, although no set date has yet been released.

Another sportsbook operator that has earmarked Illinois is Unibet, but the operator has not yet given any details of dates. The addition of new sports betting platforms could help the already booming sports betting market in the state to go from strength to strength. This will be further bolstered by the ongoing ability to register remotely.

Welman did state recently that while Illinois was reporting impressive handle given the fact that there is a global pandemic, this could all change if the governor decides to revoke the ability to register remotely. However, there has been no indication that this will happen anytime soon.

Online Platforms Proving Popular During the Pandemic

Although casinos and retail sportsbooks are open for betting, many people across the state prefer to place their bets online. In fact, the popularity of online sports betting has rocketed since the start of the pandemic and being able to register remotely has helped to further boost its popularity.

With more and more people turning to online sportsbooks, the state has been able to claw back some of the huge financial losses experienced as a result of COVID-19. In addition, sportsbook operators have been able to recoup some of the losses experienced due to casino and retail sportsbook closures last year.

At present, five big players are available for sports betting in the state. These are William Hill, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, and BetRivers.