IL Bettors Can Register Online Again After Pritzker Reverses Rule

ILLINOIS — Illinois residents hoping to place bets after the return of live sports will no longer have to visit a casino to register for an account.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order Friday that once again allows sportsbooks in Illinois to complete registrations remotely. Pritzker has gone back and forth on remote registrations throughout the coronavirus pandemic, but the latest remote-registration period will last until at least Sept. 19.

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Prtitzker in June suspended a portion of the Illinois Sport Wagering Act that required people to create betting accounts in person, but he then reversed that measure at the end of July, ending remote registration.

His latest executive order reinstated remote registration and extended many of his previous executive orders through mid-September.

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DraftKings and BetRivers are poised to take advantage of the new remote-registration period as the only two online sportsbooks in Illinois.

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DraftKings launched its Illinois sportsbook earlier this month. After Pritzker ended remote registration in July, DraftKings made a major push in the St. Louis market, and it can now try to expand into the rest of the state, according to Legal Sports Report.

Rivers Casino, PointsBet and FanDuel will also be looking to take advantage of the recently relaxed rules, the report states.

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Hollywood Casino recently launched sportsbooks at its locations in Aurora and Joliet, but online versions are not expected to be available until early next year, the report states.

Hollywood Casino Aurora has three betting kiosks and four windows, as well as a restricted seating area to watch live sports, while Hollywood Casino Joliet has five kiosks and dozens of TV screens.

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