The long wait for remote mobile sports betting registration in Illinois finally ended Saturday.
Prior to today, signing up for mobile Illinois sportsbooks meant driving to a physical casino to complete the registration process. That extra step, which could necessitate a three-hour drive for certain apps, was required by the 2019 law legalizing sports betting in IL.
A change to the law approved in late 2021 put an end date on the in-person registration mandate. Now that signing up and funding an Illinois sports betting account can be started and completed from a mobile device, the Land of Lincoln is poised to become an even bigger presence in the US market.
Which mobile sports betting companies are in Illinois?
Seven different companies operate mobile sports betting in Illinois, allowing bettors a variety of choices for starting their accounts. The seven IL sportsbook apps, along with their partner casinos, are:
- Barstool Sportsbook (Hollywood Casino Aurora/Hollywood Casino Joliet)
- BetMGM Sportsbook
- BetRivers Sportsbook (Rivers Des Plaines)
- Caesars Sportsbook (Grand Victoria Casino Elgin/Harrah’s Joliet/Harrah’s Metropolis)
- DraftKings Sportsbook (DraftKings at Casino Queen)
- FanDuel Sportsbook (Par-a-Dice Casino)
- PointsBet Sportsbook (Hawthorne Race Course)
How to sign up for Illinois sports betting
The signup process becomes significantly simpler starting today in Illinois.
Opening an account now can be done from a mobile device by downloading the app of choice and completing registration steps within that app. Age and identity verification are a primary necessity of that process.
Previously, a bettor could complete most of the process by mobile device but would need to appear at the app’s corresponding casino to verify. That portion of the original law was designed to protect local casino companies for the first 18 months of the market.
During the heigh of COVID-19, Gov. JB Pritzker temporarily suspended the in-person signup requirement. That allowed IL sportsbooks an opportunity for months of remote signup, but Pritzker ended the suspension in 2021.
BetMGM launch a long time coming
BetMGM is the newest of the Illinois sports betting operators, launching just today.
The company waited more than a year for its licensing application to the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) to receive approval. The application process stretched through the thick of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This launch marks a significant milestone for BetMGM as we enter one of the country’s biggest sports betting markets. We look forward to working with the state of Illinois to bring its passionate sports fans a new, innovative and unique sports betting experience,” BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said.
