Those companies are locked in an 18-month “penalty box” before they’re allowed to bid for licenses that each cost a whopping $20 million.įor a fraction of that fee, six other casinos were granted sports betting licenses by the Illinois Gaming Board last week in addition to Rivers. Lobbyists deployed by Bluhm and other casino interests in Springfield last spring ensured Illinois’ gambling law was written to give casinos a head start on the sports betting market over online-only behemoths such as DraftKings and FanDuel. The online launch gives billionaire Rivers chairman Neil Bluhm first dibs on Illinois’ online sports betting market, which accounts for the vast majority of the handle in other states where the industry is legal. “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,” Rush Street Interactive president Richard Schwartz said in a statement.
