Illinois Goes Back to In-Person Registration

Illinois has seemingly gone back to in-person registration for all online sports betting. Recently, bettors in Illinois were allowed to register online with the sportsbook of their choice from anywhere in the state. This was due to an executive order signed back in 2020 during mid-pandemic. The order was authorized by Governor J.B. Pritzker and was set to expire Saturday, April 3rd, 2020.

That date has come and gone, and despite pleas for an extension, it seems that Illinois has returned to all in-person registration. This means that if you wish to play with a new sportsbook, then you will have to visit the physical retail location to sign up. Following that, you will then be able to play on your mobile device or computer from anywhere in the state.

In-Person Registration History

Illinois and Iowa are the two states that have introduced this form of online sports gambling. It is a hybrid that allows online sports betting but required users to sign up via retail sportsbook. This is a rather odd way to approach things, and it seemingly creates a barrier to entry for those who wish to bet on sports without making betting on sports anymore safe.

On January 1st, 2021, Iowa removed the in-person registration requirement, and you can now register anywhere in the state. Meanwhile, Illinois is requiring in-person registration until at least the start of 2022, if not longer. However, the state made an exception with the executive order during the pandemic.

What is odd here is, if the state trusted these sportsbooks to accept online registrations for almost half a year, then why all of a sudden would the state want to go back to retail registration? There is also the issue that the pandemic is still ongoing. While vaccines are starting to roll out in a major way, there seems to be another spike in cases across the United States. This decreases the likelihood that many will go to register at a retail sportsbook, as their safety could be in danger.

What Sportsbook Are Live in Illinois?

Currently, FanDuel, DraftKings, William Hill, Points Bet, and BetRivers are all live in Illinois. Up until this past Saturday, all of these major sportsbooks were accepting online registration. Now, you will have to visit the land-based partner for each of these sportsbooks to register. You can contact support for these sites or call the casinos if you have any questions regarding the registration process.

The list of partners can be found below:

DraftKings

Partner: Casino Queen
Address: 200 S Front St, East St Louis, IL 62201
Phone: (618) 874-5000

FanDuel

Partner: Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino
Address: 21 Blackjack Blvd, East Peoria, IL 61611
Phone: (309) 699-7711

William Hill

Partner: Grand Victoria Casino
Address: 250 S Grove Ave, Elgin, IL 60120
Phone: (847) 468-7000

Points Bet

Partner: Hawthorne Race Course
Address: 3501 S Laramie Ave, Stickney, IL 60804
Phone: (708) 780-3700

BetRivers

Partner: Rivers Casino Des Plaines
Address: 3000 S River Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60018
Phone: (847) 795-0777