Bally’s Applies For Illinois Sports Betting License

There are currently seven online sportsbooks in the state of Illinois, and that has been the same number since all the way back in March. Illinois sports betting has continued to post some impressive numbers in this industry, and there are other operators that are hoping to enter the state.

Earlier this week it was Bally’s that became the latest company to apply for a sports betting license with the Illinois Gaming Board. Bally’s is the parent company of BallyBet, a mobile sportsbook that has seen tremendous growth in 2022.

The Illinois Gaming Board continues to be slow to react when a new application is submitted as Bally’s is now the fourth applicant waiting in line for a license. It’s unclear when the IGB is actually going to act on any of the applications, but the state could certainly use some new options.

Unibet has had an application in since 2020, and it has announced several times that it is committed to a launch in Illinois. Circa and WynnBET are the other two operators hoping to break into Illinois, but those applications are much newer.

Bally’s could soon become a big name in the state of Illinois as it has also submitted a bid to build a new casino in downtown Chicago. This current application does not tether BallyBet to that new project, but that could be changed moving forward.

Illinois sports betting now does allow for online-only sportsbooks to enter the state, but the IGB continues to be focused on those that have partnered with a casino property.

July Sports Betting Totals Posted

Illinois sports betting continues to see a nice increase in the total sports betting handle and revenue numbers each month. After a few rough months over the summer, Illinois posted a total handle of close to $600 million for the month of July.

The latest report from the IGB also shows that Illinois sports betting has now gone over the $1 billion revenue mark based on totals form both in-person and online sports betting. Illinois sports betting launched in March 2020 and the $1 billion in revenue came from just 30 months of wagering.

Illinois Sports Betting Sees Plenty of NFL Bets

According to GeoComply, Illinois saw the biggest jump in action from Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season to Week 2 earlier this month. GeoComply is a company that provides geolocation services in many states, and then produces reports based on the number of transactions that it approves.

There was a 60& jump in the total number of bets in 2022 as more than 8 million wagers were placed. That number was right around 5 million during the 2021 NFL Opening weekend, and the mobile registration option was a big reason for the increase.

Illinois did not have the most NFL wagers in Week 1 as the state landed in just the fifth spot overall.

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