With March Madness, one of the biggest wagering events of the year, just around the corner, BetMGM couldn’t have picked a better time to join the online sports betting party in Illinois.
The prominent online sportsbook was finally greenlit by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) in late January after applying for its license in September 2020. With its Illinois launch last weekend, BetMGM is now live in 22 markets.
According to a press release, Illinois players will have access to sports wagering as well as the chance to earn “experiences” at MGM Resorts' hotels and casinos across the country via the app.
"This launch marks a significant milestone for BetMGM as we enter one of the country's biggest sports betting markets," BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said in a press release. "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 offers pre-game, live in-play, futures, and parlay wagering, including the app’s “One Game Parlay” product that allows bettors to make more than one bet within a single game.
The release also mentions access to exclusive free contests for marquee sporting events as well as a chance to earn reward points with each wager that can be redeemed at MGM Resorts’ properties throughout the country.
Looking for lion’s share in Illinois
BetMGM is the seventh online sportsbook to launch in the Prairie State since it welcomed legal sports betting back in March 2020. The other six books accepting wagers are DraftKings, PointsBet, FanDuel, BetRivers, Barstool, and Caesars, the last of which announced Wednesday that its Caesars Sportsbook mobile app is now available for download with remote registration across the state.
The latest news out of Illinois comes on the heels of the change made by the state as of Saturday, March 5, which now means that bettors no longer have to register in person for an online betting account at one of the sportsbooks’ casino partners. Instead, registration can be done on an app, creating one less obstacle for new users.
Illinois is already one of the biggest sports betting markets in the United States, with over $7 billion in total wagers since it became legalized two years ago. With more sportsbooks expected to enter the market in 2022, that number is likely to climb.
