Good news for Illinois bettors

Illinois residents are once again able to remotely register for an online sports betting account. Governor J.B. Pritzker reissued Executive Order 2020-41 on Friday, extending the period of remote registration through September 19, 2020. 

remote registration through September 19

During the height of the pandemic, casinos were shut across the state, meaning that bettors could not physically visit such facilities to set up an online sports wagering account. As a result, remote registration was allowed from June 4 until it was brought to an end by the governor on July 26. 

Online sportsbooks set to benefit

Having launched its online sports betting offering in Illinois early August, DraftKings looks set to take advantage of the return of remote registration. It has since announced on Twitter that it is now accepting remote registrations from the state’s residents:

DraftKings is one of only two online sportsbooks to launch in Illinois to date. The other operator, BetRivers, is reportedly also allowing bettors to remotely register for new accounts.

A bumpy start for Illinois sports betting

Legal sports betting went live in Illinois on March 9, only a few days before sporting events began grinding to a halt due to the pandemic. Retail sportsbooks were closed for business as all casinos in the state ceased operations on March 16. It was these closures that led to the governor’s decision to temporarily allow remote registration two months ago.

Illinois casinos have been open since July 1, operating at reduced capacity. However, with COVID-19 cases on the rise across the state, new restrictions have been put in place on the opening hours of gambling and betting properties.

DraftKings’ big rival, FanDuel, plans to launch in Illinois, but there is no exact timeline for when it might do so. A Barstool Sports-branded online sportsbook is also set to go live in the first quarter of 2021.