Illinois wants sports betting before March Madness

The governor of Illinois wants the state to have sports betting offerings in place for March Madness.

US.- Illinois wants to become the next state in the US to take advantage of the benefits of betting on major sports events. That’s why the governor of Illinois said that he wants sports betting to be up and running by March Madness, which starts on March 17.

According to a statement from Governor JB Pritzker’s press secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh, he wants the activity to contribute economy in the state, 13 WREX reported. “The Governor is pleased that Illinois sportsbooks will open for business by March Madness, generating revenue to rebuild universities, hospitals and other facilities across the state,” the press secretary said.

Three casinos in the state have obtained temporary sports betting licences so far, but the activity still hasn’t gone live in Illinois and there is no official date yet. March Madness starts on March 17, meaning that the state would have to accelerate the process in the next three weeks.

Illinois sports betting is ready to compete

Illinois will soon launch the sports betting industry in the state and will thrive according to recent forecasts. Some consultants revealed their projections for the segment and say it may compete with Nevada’s.

Consulting firm Global Market Advisors forecasted the Illinois sports betting market to get US$5.2 billion worth of wagers in 2023. Should it come true, it would place it just US$300 million behind the US$5.5 billion expected for Nevada that year.

Camelot Lottery Solutions also expects the segment to thrive, as it sees a market for 450k Illinoisans ready to bet.