Illinois online sports betting is officially live after Rush Street Interactive (RSI), in collaboration with Rivers Casino Des Plaines, launched mobile and desktop sportsbook platforms yesterday.
The offerings went live at 10am Central Time yesterday, with BetRivers.com allowing players aged 21 and above in the Land of Lincoln to wager on sports digitally.
BetRivers.com’s platform will be powered by Kambi.
Rivers Casino in Des Plaines was the first-ever casino to take a legal sports bet in Illinois after the vertical was regulated, when its land-based venue did so in March.
In-person registration temporarily relaxed
Earlier in June, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker passed an executive order temporarily allowing players to register for sports betting online. Players are usually required to sign up in person, but due to the COVID-19 lockdown this hasn’t been possible.
RSI President Richard Schwartz had the following to say about launching online in Illinois.
“We are excited to make history in bringing the first online sportsbook to sports fans in our home state just in time as American sports are coming back into action.
“While entertainment options are limited as we seek to minimise the spread of the virus, we are focused on BetRivers.com providing sportsbook players with a high-quality on-line product with exciting sports betting options.
“We will have great customer service with fast pay-outs and an overall friendly approach that treats every player with honesty and care.”
Could Illinois sports betting be set to expand further soon?
Recently, seven casinos in Illinois were awarded four-year master licences to offer sports betting in the state.
Two Hollywood Casino venues in Joliet and Aurora are now allowed to take sports wagers. Argosy Casino in Alton is another be awarded a licence. The other four are Casino Queen Inc., Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino, Grand Victoria Casino – in addition to Rivers.
The right time to launch online sports betting
Following a lengthy hiatus due to the ongoing global pandemic, sports is slowly returning across the globe. In the US, the NBA is expected to return at the end of next month.
NASCAR also returned to action last month, while Major League Soccer (MLS) is due to resume in July.
In Europe, a large number of European football leagues are back underway – including in England and Germany.
