FanDuel and Fairmount Park Racetrack Finally Moving Forward in Illinois

When FanDuel was looking to enter the Illinois market, the rumors were swirling about how the sports betting operator was looking to partner with Fairmount Park Racetrack and potentially buying the track to launch its sportsbook.

When the Illinois Gaming Board was giving out its sports betting licenses, Fairmount Park was not one of the early applicants to receive a master betting license putting in a hurdle to FanDuel’s plans.

Last week, Fairmount Park finally received is sports betting license from the IGB, and FanDuel will be looking to launch another sportsbook with Fairmount as the racetrack will turn into a “racino” with table games and slots available as well.

Fairmount’s Twitter page released a statement after receiving the license, “[W]e would like to send a big Thank You, to Melissa Helton, President and General Manager of Fairmount Park Race Track. With her guidance and determination, we are extremely excited to announce that we have been approved by the Illinois Gaming Board to take the next steps.”

This will help FanDuel compete with DraftKings and BetRivers as the two have become the market leaders leaving FanDuel behind.

Fairmount Park and FanDuel

FanDuel now gets a huge boost in the Illinois market, with Fairmount receiving a betting license. Fairmount is located in Collinsville, 12 miles from St. Louis. FanDuel is currently partnered with Par-A-Dice Casino in Peoria, which is in the heart of the state.

FanDuel has been known to pick great locations for its sportsbook in the states they are operating in. They have been successful in finding casinos in high populated areas to help boost their business. The hurdle entering Illinois forced them to move its location from the St. Louis area to the state’s middle.

Now that Fairmount is allowed to take bets, FanDuel will be able to take advantage of the St. Louis metropolitan area thanks to the sportsbook sitting 11 miles away from the Illinois – Missouri border.

What also hurt FanDuel’s expansion in Illinois was when Gov. J.B. Pritzker suspended online registration for sports bettors. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March, casinos closed, leaving the newly launched sports betting industry on pause as people needed to create accounts in-person.

As of writing, Pritzker has brought back online registration but currently has a temporary extension on it through November. If Pritzker decides not to grant an extension through the end of the year, FanDuel’s business could see struggles as the sportsbook is in the middle of the state, two hours away from Chicago and St. Louis.

However, with Fairmount now earning its license, FanDuel should work quickly to get a sportsbook operating at the location to capitalize on the St. Louis market in Southern Illinois.

Illinois Betting Market

The Land of Lincoln is seeing exponential growth in sports betting thanks to Pritzker’s executive order with online registration along with five sportsbooks in the market.

In August, Illinois saw almost $140 million in bets thanks to major U.S. sports returning. The state turns to September to see what the betting numbers are with football back in season.

FanDuel will look to increase its market share in the state with a full month of action in the Illinois market. Now, they will capitalize on two locations, which should help the online betting operator over the coming months.