Bettors in the state of Illinois can once again register online sports betting accounts remotely from anywhere within state lines.
On Friday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker reinstated an executive order suspending the in-person registration requirement for online sports betting accounts in the state of Illinois.
This comes after Pritzker made the decision not to extend the executive order in late July, after reinstating several executive orders.
Remote registration returns to Illinois
Pritzker introduced executive order 2020-52 on Friday, which reinstated the original sports betting order.
The order states “WHEREAS, due to social distancing requirements put in place to protect public health, and because existing licensed casino gambling facilities authorized pursuant to the Sports Wagering Act have been closed to the public since March 16, 2020 and will reopen only when safe to do so pursuant to the Restore Illinois plan, Illinois residents may not be able to appear in-person at a licensed casino;
“Section 1. During the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations, the provisions in the Sports Wagering Act, 230 ILCS 45/25-30(f), 25-35(f), and 25-40(i), requiring in-person creation of a sports wagering account at a facility authorized pursuant to the Act in order to participate in sports wagering offered over the internet or through a mobile application, are suspended.”
The remote registration order will remain in place until 19 September at the earliest. This order was originally introduced on 4 June and was meant to stay in place as long as Illinois’ Gubernational Disaster Proclamations were in place.
The initial proclamation ended on 26 July after casinos in the state reopened at 50% capacity on 1 July. However, at the same time, Pritzker did not reinstate the remote registration order.
The order will likely remain in place until 19 September.
Who does this benefit?
The reintroduction of remote registration for online sports betting in the state of Illinois will benefit bettors and sportsbook operators.
Illinois bettors will benefit from being able to create their online sports betting accounts without having to visit a casino during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, eliminating the needless health risk.
Sportsbook operators will also benefit from being able to market their online sportsbook platforms to everyone in the state and acquire a wider pool of customers. This is extremely beneficial to some operators after a rise in coronavirus cases in the Metro East region of the state prompted the introduction of new restrictions.
While the suspension of in-person registration was in effect, BetRivers launched its online sports betting platform on 18 June through Rivers Casino des Plaines, making it the only online betting option in the state at the time.
DraftKings, which launched its land-based and online sportsbooks in Illinois in early August, will also be able to promote its online offering to everyone in the state.
