Of all the US states that have legalized sports betting since the Supreme Court decision of 2018, few have endured as wild a ride as Illinois.
Lawmakers in the state officially approved sports betting back in 2019. By March 2020, physical sportsbooks were open for business, taking bets on the NCAA Tournament, which seemed like an ideal time to launch a betting sector. In a normal year, it would have been. However, 2020 was not a normal year and the fledgling Illinois sports betting sector soon suffered the same fate as other leisure sectors throughout the US.
One problem that was particular to Illinois was the 18-month in-person registration requirement for mobile betting. This required betting fans to register with physical sportsbooks before they could use mobile apps. Fortunately, this was suspended for most of the second half of 2020 and although it has beenreinstated, many Illinois sports fans are now able to bet using their mobiles.
DraftKings
DraftKings established itself thanks to the rise of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) during the 2010s and has been one of the first operators to embrace sports betting, launching its New Jersey platform just three months after the Supreme Court decision.
WSN.com reports that the sportsbook set up operations in Illinois on August 5, 2020, through a partnership with the Casino Queen casino venue. Since then, it has been gaining popularity among sports betting fans thanks to an app that offers competitive promotions such as daily odds boosts and deposit bonuses, all packaged in a sleek and user-friendly design.
William Hill
One of the oldest names in the betting business, with a brand that dates back to 1934, William Hill entered the Illinois market thanks to a deal with the Grand Victoria Casino. Despite being one of the later entrants to the state, it has made significant inroads with Illinois sports bettors.
The William Hill brand needs little introduction, but they are notable for having updated their betting model to adapt to the modern online market, producing an easy to use betting app that is clear and free of clutter, and offering access to an impressive variety of betting markets, including a strong live betting section and access to stats and data to help bettors plan their wagers.
FanDuel
FanDuel is the main rival to DraftKings in the DFS sector and has taken a similarly proactive approach to getting a piece of the sports betting market. It was able to gain a foothold in Illinois through an arrangement with the Par-A-Dice Casino and has developed a strong following.
The FanDuel sportsbook is one of the most aesthetically pleasing betting platforms available to Illinois customers. The platform provides an easy-to-use navigation system and an impressive welcome bonus. A great site forfootball fans and newcomers, FanDuel’s app has certainly caught on with Illinois fans.
BetRivers
Powered by betting industry titan Rush Street Interactive, BetRivers has the distinction of being the first Illinois sportsbook to go live, launching on June 18, 2020, following the Rush Street Rivers Casino Des Plaines being the first retail betting location to go live, on March 9, 2020.
The BetRivers app provides a handy $250 first deposit match for new customers. The app has been successfully deployed in a number of other states, notably in the thriving betting markets of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. While not as flashy as the mobile platforms produced by some of its rivals, this app provides a solid and reliable sports betting platform.
PointsBet
PointsBet, which was founded in Australia in 2017, doesn’t have the highest profile among the US sports betting fraternity, but that is changing. The company was relatively unknown when it entered the New Jersey market, but it soon proved to be extremely popular and has been able to extend its brand to Illinois, thanks to a deal with Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero.
PointsBet have been able to earn a strong reputation with Illinois sports betting customers thanks to their excellent marketing, which includes a range of promotions, including bad beat refunds, odds boosts and other user-friendly deals.
This app is also popular thanks to the innovative PointsBetting system. This offers bettors the chance to risk and win more on a bet, based on the extent to which their selection wins or loses, combining traditional sports betting with some of the strengths of spread betting.
Summary
Illinois is one of the most significant sports betting states in the US and is well served by a number of top sports betting apps, giving bettors a wide and varied selection of wagering platforms.
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