In a 96-22 vote, the Illinois House recently passed House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 521, which would allow in-state bettors to wager on Illinois college sports teams—on a two-year trial basis.
Such wagers would have to be placed on-site at a sportsbook, not online. Plus, the bet would have to be placed pre-game and could only be a Tier 1 wager; that is, it is “determined solely by the final score or final outcome” of a sporting event. Also, bets on an individual athlete’s performance would not be permitted.
The bill must be passed in the Senate and signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker. It would take effect immediately and run through July 1, 2023.
Rita said the bill would allow betting on all college athletics, not just Division 1 sports. It also would permit veterans and fraternal organizations to apply for video gambling machine licenses, even if they are banned by the local municipality and even if they don’t have a liquor license. However, those provisions would not apply in Chicago and Cook County.
The measure also would sports wagers to be placed at Wintrust Arena, home of the Chicago Sky of the Women’s National Basketball Association. The venue would have to pay the $10 million or 5 percent of adjusted gross receipts, whichever is less, renewable in four years for $1 million.
In addition to sports betting provisions, Rita’s bill also would allow non-Illinois breeders to bring their stallions to Illinois to breed with mares.
Rita said he also plans to “work with all the labor unions over the summer and try to figure out how to come up with something that is right for this industry, right for the unions.”
