Illinois is Lifting College Sports Betting Ban

Great news for Illinois Online Gambling! Illinois is lifting its college sports betting ban! HB 3136, a sports betting bill, was recently passed in both chambers. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed it into law on Friday. The initial span from when the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) supplied its first retail sports betting licenses to when it will be allowed to supply online licenses remains unchanged. Remote registration will begin on March 5th.

Betting Impact in Illinois

Sports betting legalities in the US vary from state to state. Creating remote registration will help Illinois continue to be one of the top markets in the United States. Roughly 96% of Illinois’ betting handle came from mobile or online bets. They set a monthly-best record with an $840.4 million handle in October. This is one of the largest monthly handles ever in the United States. With remote registration available prior to March Madness, Illinois could look to produce another monthly-best in terms of handle in March. This will allow operators to offer their best promotions, including sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, and more. They’ll have a chance at a billion-dollar handle, but in-state college betting is still a roadblock in that path.

In-State College Betting

Illinois’ Sports Wagering Act initially banned all in-state college sports wagers. As a result, bettors weren’t allowed to gamble on any college team in the state of Illinois. This caused problems throughout the sports betting world, specifically during March Madness. HB 3136 helps find a middle ground of betting on college sports in Illinois. You will now be able to place pre-game bets on Illinois college teams at in-person locations. However, player props and in-game wagers will not be available. You also won’t be able to bet on mobile.

Conclusion

College sports are a massive part of online gambling, and the majority of that is done on mobile. This is a step in the right direction for Illinois, which is looking to break the billion-dollar handle mark in the upcoming months. It’s still a way off from what gamblers want, though, as most people likely won’t travel to an in-person location to bet on a local team. Illinois tried to meet bettors with a middle-ground on collegiate sports, but they’ll likely have to allow these types of bets on mobile to continue to be a top gambling market in the United States.