WynnBet has applied for a license to offer mobile sports betting in Illinois. According to the Illinois Gaming Board’s website, which lists applicants for different sports betting licenses in the state, WynBet has applied for a Management Services Provider license. According to the state’s gaming board, sportsbooks require a Management Services Provider license in order to provide mobile betting in the Land of Lincoln.
Based on the Illinois Gaming Board website, WynBet submitted its application last year in November. However, the Board’s website does not indicate which brick-and-mortar casino WynBet will be affiliated with. Currently, Illinois has 10 casinos that were operational before sports betting was legalized in 2019, thus making it the 5th state to legalize its market.
Most of the 6 new locations that have licenses in the gaming expansion bill already have partners or the capacity to operate individual mobile betting platforms. For instance, Full House Resorts recently entered into a partnership with Circa Sports to open both retail, as well as mobile sportsbooks. Full House plans to open a new location in American Place located in Waukegan, as a result of this deal.
Hard Rock opened its temporary casino in Rockford in November ahead of opening its permanent facility in the state. The temporary location is situated at the intersection of East State Street and Bell School Roads. The permanent location will be constructed 1 mile east of the temporary spot and is expected to create more than 1000 new jobs for locals.
Not too long ago, Bally’s was also approved to operate a casino in downtown Chicago. Bally’s could opt to hold its mobile sport open until the downtown location is operational. Mayor Lori Lightfoot made history when the City Council finally voted to approve Bally’s as its number one choice for the downtown casino license.
As the number 1 choice, Bally’s will construct a casino in the River West worth an estimated $1.7 billion. This casino is expected to transform the dormant downtown area into a buzzing world-class gaming and entertainment terminus. The facility is expected to be constructed, owned, and operated by residents in Chicago with a focus on minority investors and staff.
In addition, the downtown casino is also expected to generate much-needed tax revenue for the state while also attracting international and local visitors to the area. Another casino, Walker’s Bluff is also in the process of erecting a casino in Williamson County but it is still yet to name a sportsbook partner for its casino in Illinois.
A lot of competition in Illinois’ betting market
Even though all 10 casinos in the state have the green light to offer retail wagering, only 6 casinos in Illinois offer sports betting. A total of 5 mobile operators are already linked to these casinos while an additional 2 are tethered to Illinois’ 2 horse racing tracks. Harrah’s Joliet and Argosy Casino, still do not have active mobile partners.
However, Argosy Casino is affiliated with Unibet while Harrah’s Joliet is tied to theScore Bet. Unibet handed its application to the state’s gaming board in November 2020 but theScore Bet has not yet submitted its materials to the Gaming Board. TheScore secured market access into the Illinois betting market in March 2021 before it was acquired by Penn National Gaming for approximately $2 billion in August 2021.
As such, it is not yet clear whether theScore will finalize its application. Bally’s, which is situated in Quad Cities will operate its own sports betting platform when it is ready to pursue mobile betting. The Illinois Gaming Board approved Bally’s to take over Jumer’s Casino in June last year.
With this transfer of ownership also came a separate approval for Bally’s Master of sports wagering license. Bally’s rebranded last year after it was taken over by Twin River so it has to file a request with the board to resume retail sports betting in the state. Bally’s purchased Jumer’s Casino in October 2020 for approximately $120 million.
If everything goes according to plan, Bally’s is expected to debut its own mobile sports betting app known as Bally Bet soon. Once the brand files for a management services provider license, it should be able to debut its services. Bally Bet is already available in several states including Colorado.
Harrah’s Metropolis and Hollywood Casino Joliet are the only 2 casinos that still do not have a possible mobile betting partner. Last year, it was also rumored that BetMGM would be taking over FanDuel’s spot. FanDuel transferred its license from Par-A-Dice Casino and rebranded itself to Fairmount Park.
It has long been anticipated that BetMGM would become the online skin for Par-A-Dice in East Peoria, which would benefit the state greatly. BetMGM is so far the 3rd largest revenue generator in handle in most of the states it operates in, which means that it could produce a lot of revenue for the state. On paper, the BetMGM brand is so well established that it has the potential to beat BetRivers, especially now that remote registration is allowed.
In March, DraftKings established 2 new retail sportsbook locations thus expanding its presence in Illinois even further. Draftkings set up a permanent book in East St. Louis at Casino Queen, as well as a temporary location at the Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge, situated in Louisiana.
DraftKings’ 6,000-square-foot permanent sportsbook at Casino Queen opened its doors to punters officially on March 29th. DraftKings spent millions to renovate the space by adding a 60-foot video wall, lounge-style searing, stadium seats and private booths, VIP centers, as well as betting kiosks. With the comprehensive renovation, DraftKings is hoping to stand out as competition continues to intensify.
DraftKings casino in Baton Rouge, on the other hand, may be temporary. However, construction of the permanent facility has been underway for a while now. The temporary casino has been catering to its customers thanks to the temporary self-service kiosks, as well as the over-the-counter betting cages that have been accepting bets from locals. DraftKings’ permanent sportsbook is expected to debut in 2023.
