BetRivers has become the first online sportsbook to go live in Illinois
The site went live Thursday at 10 a.m. Central time on the Rivers Casino Des Plaines license to bring Illinois online sports betting to reality.
Illinois sports betting customers will be able to sign up from home thanks to the recent executive order from Illinois Gov. J.B Pritzker. It’s unclear just how long that concession will last before online customers are forced to go to physical casinos to sign up.
“We are excited to make history in bringing the first online sportsbook to sports fans in our home state just in time as American sports are coming back into action,” said Richard Schwartz, president of Rush Street Interactive (RSI)
RSI is the digital arm of Rush Street Gaming, which owns the Rivers casino properties.
BetRivers has been quick to market before
BetRivers was also one of the first sportsbooks to launch in Colorado and is also live in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In PA, RSI has around 18% of the online sports betting market.
The product is built on the Kambi platform.
Schwartz said BetRivers would offer “great customer service with fast payouts and an overall friendly approach that treats every player with honesty and care.”
Betting golden era on the way
The launch comes at an opportune time, as major sports return around the globe.
Premier League soccer started this week, while UFC, the PGA Tour and NASCAR are all in action.
BetRivers sites will live stream some sporting events so that players can bet while they watch the action.
Who’s next to launch sports betting in Illinois?
The seven casinos currently approved for four-year master licenses to run sports betting in Illinois are:
- Argosy Casino Alton
- Grand Victoria Casino
- Hollywood Casino Aurora
- Hollywood Casino Joliet
- Rivers Casino-Des Plaines
- Casino Queen, Inc.
- Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino
MGM owns the Grand Victoria and has been quick to market with BetMGM in other states, so could feasibly be next in line for launch. FanDuel and DraftKings, the top two sportsbooks in the US right now, are surely looking for a way into the market.
