The state of Illinois welcomed its first mobile sportsbook earlier this week. The sportsbook, named BetRivers is a first for Rivers Casino Des Plains. Another first for the casino happened in March this year when it became the first casino in the state to offer sports betting at its retail sportsbook. The launch of the online sportsbook means that players no longer need to register sports betting accounts in person at the casino like previously required. They can do that online now.
More on the Illinois SportsBook
Rush Street Interactive (RSI), River Casinos business partner, already operates several sportsbooks in other parts of the USA. The company also launched a few other sportsbooks earlier this year in states that include Pennsylvanian, Indiana and Colorado. Sports betting is very limited at the moment because of the additional restrictions placed on businesses following the Coronavirus outbreak. But discussions have been underway for four of the other major leagues to return. This includes NBA, MLB, NHL and NFL.
However, even though the sports that players are allowed to bet on currently is limited, the Illinois Sportsbook plans on providing high quality entertainment for the options that are available. President of RSI Richard Schwartz said that BetRivers will still offer customers exciting betting options. They added that the service will include prompt payouts and every player will be treated with care. For now, players using BetRivers is able to bet on Nascar, UFC and PGA Tours.
Future Launches in Illinois
It’s difficult to say which of the top sportsbooks in Illinois will launch next. DraftKings and FanDuel are at the top of the pack but neither has signalled an intent to launch anything soon. The IL Gaming Board did, however, approve several sports betting licenses for casinos throughout the state. This may suggest that another launch is well underway. The casinos in question include Casino Queen, Argosy Casino Alton, Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino, Hollywood Casino Aurora, Grand Victoria Casino and Hollywood Casino Joliet.
