Illinois Governor J.D. Pritzker has renewed for the seventh time his executive order allowing off-site registration for mobile sports betting accounts. The order, effective through February 6, lets wagerers sign up for any of the state’s five mobile operators via smartphone or online.
Previously, bettors were required to register in person to establish a mobile betting account. After lifting that requirement this summer, mobile sports betting accounts increased by 230,000 and wagers jumped from $8.3 million in June 2020 to $52.5 million in July 2020. PlayIA.com Analyst Dustin Gouker commented, “Illinois showed just how much drag in-person registration puts on a market. As the registration requirement was lifted, the market embarked on an expansion that has been the most rapid in U.S. history.”
In its October report, the Illinois Gaming Board reported sports betting handle of $434.6 million. DraftKings, FanDuel and BetRivers each took in more than $100 million in wagers and PointsBet surpassed $60 million. Illinois’ total October handle ranks the state fourth behind New Jersey at $931.6 million, Nevada at $659.2 million and Pennsylvania at $525.8 million.
BetMGM and Unibet have applied for a Management Services Provider license, according to the IGB. Penn National Gaming–listed as Penn Sports Interactive—has not yet launched mobile operations although it received a temporary operating permit last March.
