BetMGM Sportsbook on track for March Launch
BetMGM is the first mobile sportsbook operator to operate in Illinois since Barstool Sportsbook in March 2021.
The Illinois Gaming Board unanimously approved BetMGM’s request for a Management Service Provider license in January 2022. This news is set to change the Illinois mobile betting landscape as the approval from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) comes after a 16-month waiting period.
The sportsbook operator expects to begin operating on the 5th of March 2022, when Illinois’ in-person registration requirement ends, signaling the start of the sports book’s remote registration. With the approval from the IGB, BetMGM will begin accepting wagers in partnership with Boyd Gaming’s Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria.
BetMGM Enters Illinois at the Ideal Time
BetMGM originally submitted its request for a Management Service Provider License in January 2020. However, the application process turned into a long waiting period due to the pandemic and Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker’s amendment of the HB 3136 Bill.
Bill HB 3136 passed in December 2021, allowing the operator to begin planning its official remote registration date.
The 5 March 2022 date was established following the new HB 3136 Bill. Bill HB 3136 allows the Illinois State department to delay the remote registration date by 540 days from the first issuing date of a sportsbook’s sports wagering license.
The bill further allows the IGB to extend the application timeline by an additional 90 days. The IGB can use the extra 90-day extension to decide whether to accept online-only license applications or decline the application.
During Illinois’s worst stages of the pandemic, Executive Order 2020-41 was issued by Governor Pritzker. Order 2020-41 prohibited any in-person registration of any mobile sportsbooks. Once the Executive Order was removed, the growth of the sports wagering industry saw impressive growth, establishing itself within the top-three states within the national sportsbook market.
DraftKings, BetRivers, and FanDuel currently hold an overwhelming majority within Illinois’s mobile operator market share. However, this shouldn’t stop BetMGM from gaining a foothold within Illinois. BetMGM’s impressive regional performance in other Midwest state operator markets indicates they will have a positive impact within the Illinois market and still be able to contend with Barstool Sports, Caesars Sportsbooks, and PointBets.
BetMGM currently holds the third spot in revenue and handle within Indiana, a state with only 13 mobile options, with a 13.1% handle market share.
BetMGM also ranks third within the State of Michigan, where the sportsbook has a physical casino located in Detroit. In 2021 BetMGM showed a 22.7% handle market share within Michigan State, another state with over ten mobile operators.
With its current track record and handle in the mobile operators market, BetMGM should have no problem succeeding within Illinois.
“Thrilled” to be Licenced
When asked about the approval of their mobile sportsbook operating license, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt had the following to say;
“We’re thrilled that BetMGM is now licensed in Illinois. We thank the Illinois Gaming Board and, pending regulatory approvals, look forward to bringing BetMGM’s leading digital sports betting experience to Illinois sports fans on March 5, when digital registration is permitted in the state.”
Outside of Illinois, sports betting and online casino fans are no strangers to BetMGM as the casino and sportsbook hold mobile sports betting licenses within 16 states. Aside from its generous no deposit and welcome bonuses, BetMGM is also known as one of the country’s best real money online casinos.
Launching on 5 March 2022, BetMGM will significantly boost its ability to register new members via its mobile application. This boost will allow the sportsbook operator to gain a solid foothold within the Illinois markets. The launch of BetMGM’s mobile sportsbook will be the first time in a year any Illinoisans will have the opportunity to register for a sportsbook remotely.
