Are Super Bowl Betting Squares Target Of New Illinois Legislation?


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Super Bowl betting

With sports betting alive and well in Illinois, a new bill appears to take aim at Super Bowl squares. 

Rep. John Cabello on Thursday introduced HB 1047, which would prohibit Illinois residents from operating social gaming boards without a license from the Illinois Gaming Board. The bill appears to target what are commonly known as Super Bowl betting squares.

The Illinois legislative session began Wednesday. This session, lawmakers could discuss multiple gambling issues, potentially including online casinos. 

Illinois targeting Super Bowl squares?

Cabello’s bill would establish the “Social Gaming Act,” setting up the need for licenses if a person wants to operate a “social gaming board,” which could include Super Bowl squares. 

By the legislation’s definition, a “social gaming board game” uses a square, two-dimensional board to present 100 spaces in 10 separate lines, numbered 0 through 9. Winners of the game are “selected by matching the final score of a sporting event to the matching box selected by a player,” the legislation reads.

Board manufacturers would be subject to a $5,000 license fee, while distributors would pay $1,000. Operators would pay a $50 fee and could not pay out more than $1,199 per game.

Illinois online casino talk

In December, Gov. JB Pritzker said online casino gambling is “worthy of consideration.” 

That comes as Pritzker prepares a budget draft with a $3 billion deficit in mind. Multiple lawmakers have said it could be a good way to increase revenue, potentially up to $800 million annually. 

Legislators introduced online casino bills in the previous two sessions, beginning in 2021 and 2023, but they have not gained much traction.

Illinois gambling talk

Gambling is a frequent topic for Illinois legislators. Since Pritzker took office in 2019, the state has legalized sports betting and has added multiple casinos. 

Last year, the budget included a tiered sports betting tax system. The tax rate went from 15% up to 40%.  

Lawmakers also introduced a bill addressing the proposed Dave & Busters betting plans.

Photo by Eric Gay / Associated Press