Gov. Pritzker Signs HB 3136, Changes Illinois Sportsbook Laws
- Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed HB 3136, a bill that creates significant changes to Illinois’ sports betting industry, into law on Friday.
- The signing will result in notable changes including allowing remote sportsbook account registration and the lifting of the ban on wagers on in-state college teams, among others.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a sweeping bill that will create some significant changes to Illinois’ sports betting industry into law Friday afternoon.
The bill, HB 3136, passed by a 44-12 vote in the Illinois Senate and by a 100-11-1 vote in the Illinois House of Representatives in October.
Ban On In-State College Sports Betting Lifted
The bill creates many changes to regulations surrounding legal gambling in Illinois; however, perhaps the most significant change will be the removal of the provision that banned wagers on events featuring college teams from Illinois.
The Sports Wagering Act, which first legalized sports betting in Illinois, originally enacted a ban on wagers on any sporting event featuring a college from Illinois, limiting sportsbooks from accepting wagers on many popular events. The new bill allows for these wagers, albeit in a limited fashion.
The bill allows for in-person bets placed before the beginning of the game only - no live betting, mobile betting, or prop betting will be permitted on these games. Despite these restrictions remaining in place, the removal of the ban is a welcome change to Illinois sports bettors, who will finally be able to wager on Illinois’ college sports teams.
Online Account Registration Reinstated
Another significant effect of HB 3136’s signing is the removal of the requirement for bettors to complete their sportsbook account registration in-person, effective March 5. Until that date, users will still be required to register for their sportsbook accounts in person.
The requirement has been in place since April when Pritzker allowed his executive order - which suspended the in-person registration requirement and allowed remote account registration for the majority of 2020 - to lapse.
The change should be helpful for Illinois’ online gambling industry, which saw an $803.4 million online sports betting handle in October even with the in-person registration restriction.
Wintrust Arena Added To List Of Stadiums Eligible For Sportsbook Licensing
An additional important effect of the signing of HB 3136 is a provision that allows Wintrust Arena, home to the 2021 WNBA Champion Chicago Sky as well as both the men’s and women’s basketball teams from DePaul University, to be eligible for a sportsbook license.
Wintrust Arena had previously been ineligible for a sportsbook license because its 10,387-seat capacity does not meet the minimum capacity requirement; however, the success of the Sky combined with Chicago’s recent lifting of their city ban on sportsbooks in professional sports stadiums led to the inclusion of Wintrust Arena in the bill.