Illinois goes live with its First Sports Betting App

Rivers Casino Des Plaines, the betting venue opened Illinois’ first retail sportsbook in March, has now made history one more time. The casino has now become the first licensed operator to go live locally with a digital sports bookmaking product. The casino operates the BetRivers gambling app via its partner Rush Street Interactive.

J.B. Pritzker, Illinois Governor legalized sports gambling last summer as part of a sweeping bookmaking reform that aims to provide subsidy for his $45 billion capital plan. The plan involves rebuilding the state’s substructure.

Rivers Casino Des Plaines and downstate Argosy Casino Alton are the first to launch the retail sports betting in March. Though, the two casinos accepted bets only briefly as Illinois’ betting venues close on March 16 to help curb the advance of the corona-virus. It is still not known if the properties will be permitted to resume its operations.

Newly Signed Order Paved the Way for Mobile Betting

Under Illinois’ sports betting rule, bettors must register in-person at the state’s racetracks, casinos or sports facilities to place bets online. The closing of Illinois’ betting venues and sports facilities would have delayed the start of the mobile betting forever.

However, Gov. Pritzker signed an executive order that permits bettors to register for digital sports gambling remotely. The order detached the in-person registration obligation only temporarily.

It is still unidentified when Rivers Casino Des Plaines’ betting app will have competition. The Illinois Gaming Board licensed six other brick and mortar casinos within the estate. Each of these casinos can request approval from the regulatory body to begin offering digital staking.

According to early forecasts, sports betting could generate $100 million in annual taxes for the state, which Gov. Pritzker plans to use in funding his Reconstruct Illinois plan.

In addition, companies will have to pay an enormous $20 million for their licenses, while the state’s betting venues have paid a fraction of that amount to get permission to conduct sports betting activities.

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