Internet Vikings, one of the biggest online gaming hosting companies, has expanded into Illinois. The iGaming hosting services provider debuted services in Illinois this January, which marks the 18th state that the brand has launched in. The US gambling market has been expanding rapidly since sports betting was legalized in 2018, and the European brand is looking to capitalize on the momentum.
Internet Vikings first expanded into the US market by offering licensed hosting to online operators in West Virginia. This was the start of Internet Viking’s quest to supply hosting services to every iGaming operator in the country- where online gaming is legally allowed. Internet Vikings has quickly gained popularity for its safe, dependable, cost-effective, and fully formed hosting solutions, especially to providers that are just entering the market.
Internet Vikings provides hosting solutions that are tailor-made for each iGaming operator it works with. Some of the solutions on offer include 24 cores, 64 GB RAM, 500 GB storage, as well as 50 Mb bandwidth that is offered per month across various states. The brand debuted in Michigan and Pennsylvania first before moving on to Colorado, New Jersey, Illinois, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Virginia.
The objective has always been clear- to launch operations in every state that legalizes online gambling. Internet Vikings plans to cement its position as the top iGaming hosting provider not just in the US but internationally as well. The Swedish-based company has done an excellent job of learning and navigating the ins and outs of the betting hosting regulations and market in the country and have done their best to make improvements where necessary.
Illinois has not yet legalized online gambling. However, social casinos are permitted and quite frequented by punters in the state. Even though online gambling is yet to be decriminalized, sports gambling was legalized in June 2019 but it was not until March 2020 that the activity was officially debuted.
Since the launch of sports betting in the state, the market has grown significantly, which is sure to pave the way for the legalization of real money online gambling soon. Social gambling websites, which offer an array of casino-like options like slots and table games are also popular. In social casino sites, players are not required to use real money deposits but can participate and win prizes, some of which can be monetary in nature.
So how did Internet Vikings gain access to the state that has not yet legalized iGaming? While real-money iGaming is not allowed yet, Internet Vikings is not required to hold a license. It does, however, already have existing partnerships with gambling providers in the state, which effectively gives it access to the growing market.
Illinois is the 5th largest GDP in the country, as well as the 6th most populated state, which means that it has the potential to exceed states such as New Jersey in terms of revenue generation. Even though Internet Vikings is a latecomer in the game, having only started expanding into the country in July last year, it has already seen radical success.
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Internet Viking continues expansion plans
In September 2021, the brand debuted its iGaming hosting services in Colorado, following its launch in West Virginia. Internet Vikings has stepped up to supply iGaming operators with high-quality and reliable hosting services that are also affordable, which is something that has always been limited and costly. In the future, Internet Vikings hopes to provide the infrastructure and servers in all the major 13 iGaming hubs in the country.
Later on, in November, Internet Vikings teamed up with Playstar Casino, an international online casino that is also seeking to expand in the country. This long-term agreement afforded Playstar entry in Pennsylvania, where PlayStar expects to commence operations in the first months of 2022.
PlayStar has not been shy about expressing its ambitions for US expansion. The brand has mapped out its expansion starting with New Jersey where the brand will begin operations in Q1 2022. It will then be followed by operations in Pennsylvania later on in the year. Internet Vikings will therefore be responsible for setting PlayStar up in 2 of the largest and most successful gambling markets in the country.
IGaming could be coming to Illinois soon
At present, real money gambling is not yet legal in Illinois. However, sports betting is and it has been growing by leaps and bounds since legalization. With the sports betting market thriving, experts predict that legislators will soon pave the way for iGaming to capitalize on the popularity and demand. Online sports betting is expected to get a boon this year with in-person sports betting registration in the state nixed.
The state’s sportsbooks managed to generate $78.2 million in revenue based on data shared by the Illinois Gaming Board. In October, however, the state shattered records by generating $840.4 million, which proves that sports betting’s growth in the state has only just begun. Currently, DraftKings Sportsbook controls at least 39% of the online sports betting market.
FanDuel Sportsbook generates the second-highest revenue while BetRivers comes in at position three. Rivers Des Plaines, on the other hand, still stands as the highest revenue generator among retail sportsbooks. The law also recently lifted a restriction that bans wagers on in-state colleges, which could propel further sports betting popularity.
Plus, just before the year closed, the Chicago City Council voted to permit retail sportsbooks at professional sports venues. This means that stadium sportsbooks are now allowed under the state’s wagering law to offer sports betting. The city will now impose a 2% tax on sports wagers placed at the stadium sportsbooks.
The stadium sportsbooks will be located within a 5 block radius of 5 of Chicago’s largest and most popular facilities including Wintrust Arena, Guaranteed Rate Field, Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, as well as United Centre which houses the Bulls and Blackhawks. Hopefully, the stadiums will be ready to serve punters by the start of the 2023 Major League Baseball, which will continue to boost monthly handle in the state.
