Illinois Casinos will need to shut down due to the rise in COVID-19 cases starting Friday. This will be part of Tier 3 restrictions that Illinois will set. Theaters will be shut down as well. Meanwhile, restaurants, bars, museums, hotels and other public areas will face new and stricter protocols to help prevent the spread of the virus. But if you want to open a sportsbook, you need not worry. After all, if you open an online sportsbook, then anyone can place bets from the comfort of their own homes.
This is exactly what Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expects. He has extended the provision that allows online registration straightaway. The current law required an in-person registration process in retail casinos and sportsbooks. But since the pandemic, the Governor has allowed direct registration online to reduce risk. Which will also allow the sports betting market to survive.
Illinois Casinos and Sportsbooks
But as the best sportsbook pay per head and their data suggests, the pandemic is not too big of a problem, granted that sports events are not postponed or cancelled. Illinois itself has a $305 million sports betting handle for September. Our of the $305 million, $283 million or 92.7% of the wagers were made online. In fact, Illinois is the 4th highest betting market for the month in the US.
And if we look at the numbers on pay per head sportsbooks and Illinois sportsbooks, we can see that from August to September alone, the increase in the mobile handle alone is a whopping 128.3%. Since Governor Pritzker continues to extend the direct online registration, it will be easier for new bettors to sign up for mobile betting in the state. While retail casinos will have to take a break, your favorite mobile and online casinos and sportsbooks will always be ready to take in your wagers. Especially in Illinois.
