Illinois Wireless Service Providers Enticing New Gamblers with Off-Site Registration for Betting
The Illinois mobile sports betting scene is set to bustle even more with the crowd, as remote registration kicked off at the stroke of midnight on Saturday, welcoming BetMGM to the state as its seventh mobile operator.
In essence, there was a brief period of remote registration in Illinois earlier. Governor JB Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-41 in the summer of 2020 during the pandemic, which suspended the in-person registration requirement in the bill he signed that made sports betting legal in 2019. Pritzker issued several extensions of this executive order to aid mobile sports betting in taking flight. This strategy proved to be a resounding success as Illinois emerged as one of the top five sports betting markets in the country, alongside the ranks of New Jersey, New York, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
Illinois has raked in over $8.9 billion in handle from launch in March 2020 till December, with a whopping 96% of this earnings coming via online and mobile wagering.
At the end of the day, Pritzker's last executive order expired in March 2021, just before Barstool Sportsbook launched its mobile operations. Previously, bettors who wished access to their preferred mobile app in Illinois needed to journey to retail sportsbook locations and register for an account. This requirement primarily affected FanDuel and DraftKings, leading to a dip in new sign-ups, given that these apps' fans in Chicago and its surrounding area needed to trek to Collinsville and East St. Louis, respectively.
The choice of starting remote registration on a Saturday was made through HB 3136 that was passed during the General Assembly veto session in late October. This date adheres to state law about the period from when the first retail sports wagering license was issued by the Illinois Gaming Board to when it could grant the first online-only sports wagering license. This date also affords the IGB flexibility to use legally permitted discretion in extending the 90-day deadline for reviewing and offering online licenses without impacting other components.
BetMGM Enters the Land of Lincoln
🎉 It's happening! https://t.co/HqVEH09oPO
- Joe Ostrowski (@JoeOstrowski) March 4, 2022
BetMGM's Illinois entry appears to be a long-awaited move, but the Illinois Gaming Board has confirmed it has given the green light for it to commence taking bets. BetMGM submitted its application for a Management Services Provider license back in September 2020. It was set back by FanDuel's connection to Boyd Gaming, as the online mammoth worked to minimize DraftKings' exclusive window in the state.
FanDuel transferred its license in late 2020 to the formerly named Fairmount Park, which it rebranded as FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing in March 2021 when it opened a second retail book.
BetMGM boasts a noteworthy mobile presence across the Midwest in Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa. Owing to its robust retail presence in Detroit, BetMGM stands as a competitive third player in the Wolverine State. Since Michigan's simultaneous multi-operator launch in January 2021, it has generated close to $940 million handle and $94 million in gross revenue, although more than half of this earnings came from promotional play.
"We are thrilled to make our entry into one of the country's largest sports betting markets. We eagerly await the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the residents of Illinois and provide them with a new, innovative, and unique sports betting experience." - BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt.
In Indiana, BetMGM has managed steady and distant third-place results behind DraftKings and FanDuel, totaling more than $600 million handle and $53 million in gross gaming revenue in the past 19 months. In Iowa, it has generated close to $150 million handle and $11.2 million in revenue through 13 months since its launch in a state that currently harbors 18 mobile operators.
Sign-up Offers Galore
Illinois: Officials expect big sports betting numbers for March in Illinois #twillhttps://t.co/UDjAWhvEFk- The Center Square (@thecentersquare) March 1, 2022
Each Illinois mobile operator has a sign-up offer for newcomers who can pre-register their information, awaiting the midnight hour before downloading the app. Some also provide sign-up offers for individuals who already have access to mobile accounts in the state, aiming to bolster business ahead of the NCAA Tournament – which starts March 15 with the "First Four" games.
March is a significant month for sports betting, with the tournament taking place over three weeks before the Final Four and championship game in April. Even without wagering allowed on last year's second-round showdown between Loyola of Chicago and Illinois, $260 million worth of bets still took place on college sports events in March 2021 in Illinois, as per the IGB's revenue report. Overall basketball handle totaled more than $360 million, accounting for over half the total monthly handle of $633.6 million.
PointsBet is offering $100 in free bets for signing up prior to March 5, and bettors would then receive two risk-free bets totaling $2,000 after completing remote registration. The two bets are allocated as follows: a maximum $1,500 wager using its "PointsBetting" style, and a maximum $500 fixed-odds wager.
PointsBet Chief Marketing Officer Kyle Christensen asserted that remote registration in Illinois was "a long time coming" and "everyone knows the gravity of the moment." He expressed confidence that the Australian-based sportsbook, which launched in New York in January and Pennsylvania last month, will be able to boost its market share in Illinois and aim to lead the in-game betting space.
"There's more upside than downside, because we feel we have the best product," said Christensen, suggesting that taking on the underdog role in Illinois plays to PointsBet's strength with its innovative product. "Our live betting space revolutionizes the product with our in-house tech stack focusing on customer experience. This helps us increase handle and engagement in the app."
Christensen disclosed that PointsBet will continue leveraging its relationships with the local NBC Sports Network in Chicago. It will offer an alternate viewing experience for the Bulls-76ers game – the regional NBC sports stations in Chicago and Philadelphia are slated to have a wagering-centric telecast with live odds on-screen.
DraftKings Director of Operations Johnny Avello also expresses optimism about the upcoming weekend, noting that there are plenty of people who did not sign up remotely during the first round. DraftKings is offering a free $50 betting credit with the first deposit (minimum $5) and a 20% deposit match bonus up to $1,000 for new customers.
"When you sign up remotely or any state that comes on board, it takes time," Avello said when asked about re-approaching the potential customer base in Chicago. "It could take years. Yes, there were some people who signed up, but there were so many more who weren't able to sign up, so many more that probably weren't aware that sports betting came to the state.
"I don't think we really had a full gauge of what the people of Illinois, the type of betting that they do, because of the restrictions, but we'll have a better understanding when this opens up," he added.
Caesars may have the most on the line, given its underwhelming performance in Illinois following its September 2020 entrance as William Hill. Despite its poor showing, it ranks last among the six current mobile operators in terms of overall handle and revenue. It is finally introducing the Caesars brand to Illinois, reportedly providing existing users with a $100 free wager on their initial login after transferring their account. It is believed that new bettors will be offered a risk-free wager of up to $1,100, and they will receive this wager in the form of a free bet if they incur losses.
BetRivers will continue offering a deposit match bonus up to $250 for new users, with a one-time play-through requirement, enabling bettors to start making withdrawals following $250 worth of wagers. FanDuel offers its users $100 in free wagers for signing up prior to remote registration going live, and they follow this up with a risk-free $1,000 wager.
Barstool Sportsbook offers a risk-free wager of up to $1,000 for new users and is running a promotion for the first 10,000 people to sign up with a promotional code and place a minimum $20 wager on the 76ers-Bulls moneyline with odds exceeding -125. Those individuals would be eligible for reward cash of $500 if the Bulls capture the Eastern Conference title and tiered bonuses of $100 and $50 if DeMar DeRozan finishes first or second in the scoring race.
- The Illinois mobile sports betting scene is abuzz with anticipation, as remote registration kicked off at midnight on Saturday, welcoming BetMGM to the state as its seventh mobile operator.
- Pritzker's strategy of suspending the in-person registration requirement during the pandemic was a resounding success, as Illinois emerged as one of the top five sports betting markets in the country.
- BetMGM's entry into the Illinois market appears to be a long-awaited move, as it submitted its application for a Management Services Provider license back in September 2020.
- Each Illinois mobile operator has a sign-up offer for newcomers who can pre-register their information, awaiting the midnight hour before downloading the app.
- PointsBet is offering $100 in free bets for signing up prior to March 5, and bettors would then receive two risk-free bets totaling $2,000 after completing remote registration.
- Owing to its robust retail presence in Detroit, BetMGM stands as a competitive third player in the Michigan sports betting market.
- Caesars may have the most on the line, given its underwhelming performance in Illinois following its September 2020 entrance as William Hill, and it is finally introducing the Caesars brand to Illinois, reportedly providing existing users with a $100 free wager on their initial login after transferring their account.
