Looking back at the beginning of the year, Illinois gamblers were looking forward to placing bets on sporting events within the state later on in the year. Now they might get the opportunity to do it even sooner.

Governor JB Pritzker recently signed an executive order that will allow gamblers to bet from home. They would need to register online versus the original requirements of registering in person at a participating casino.

How It Happened

Since the spread of the coronavirus and the economic stoppage, the state has been hurting in revenue. Casinos, just like nearly everything else in Illinois, were all forced to close their doors until this all blew over.

Attempting to ramp things back up, the executive order was put in place to help push along any extra revenue that this would bring going forward. However, only Rivers Casino in Des Plaines and the Argosy Casino Alton have been allowed to continue with their operating permits, as per the Gaming Board.

Is This Permanent?

Just like the original plan for in-person registration, this move could be changed at a later date too. The main reason for such drastic changes was, of course, due to the outbreak.

It has been marked as temporary, but if the state sees a very positive outcome from all of this, then it may move forward in a better direction. This could lead to a more efficient and better system for state gamblers.

New Additions To The Market

With the door temporarily opening for at-home sports betting, some new players to the betting game may want to enter Illinois that already have a good reputation. Names such as FanDuel and DraftKings come to mind.

If DraftKings and FanDuel are able to make a splash soon, it would be great for the betting community. Not only does this help make their case, but it also provides another source of revenue to the state.

The Return of Sports

The sports world, in general, is starting to come back to life. This could also play into consideration the way sports betting is handled going forward since gamblers will be able to test out an online platform.

People new to using their mobile devices for sports betting might have a learning curve at first. But these simple steps should be able to overcome any potential setbacks.

Being able to place bets from the palm of their hands is going to be a game-changer. Some people may still not feel comfortable going out very much, and this newer form of entertainment could be something that people may opt to do instead.

Conclusion

Sports betting has mostly had more pros than cons, and the state of Illinois will be able to experience this all very soon. The timing of things could not have happened in a worse situation, but it is making its way back around now.

What matters now is to get everything back up and running, which includes casinos and sports. Together this will make the transition to mobile sports betting a lot easier and more efficient going forward.

As mentioned, names like FanDuel and DraftKings are itching to get their foot in the door and to help promote the market.

Time will tell if this will all be a great financial boom or bust. Regardless of the situation, this at least will be something interesting to try, and hopefully, Illinois will move forward in a positive direction.