Chicagoland is covered
PointsBet USA’s online and mobile sports betting has gone live at Illinois’ Hawthorne Race Course, the state’s flagship retail location for the Aussie-based sportsbook.
solid retail and digital footprint in all four corners of Chicagoland
Illinois bettors can now place wagers through PointsBet’s Hawthorne-branded online and mobile platforms. As a sign-up offer, players receive ‘‘two risk-free bets of up to $1,000 with a $500 refund if the first PointsBetting wager is lost.’’ Additional locations in Crestwood, Oakbrook Terrace, and Prospect Heights will soon join Hawthorne’s Stickney in giving PointsBet a solid retail and digital footprint in all four corners of Chicagoland.
PointsBet created a multi-media animation, featuring an iconic photo still of the Windy City skyline, entitled ‘ILLINOIS – IT’S TIME!!’:
PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken also affirmed that for all Chicago Bears games this season, his sportsbook will offer ‘‘the best price in market’’ from pre-game point spread to moneyline bet types.
Sportsbooks September hustle
PointsBets Illinois debut came just in time for the start of the 2020-21 NFL season, which saw the state’s Chicago Bears beat the Detroit Lions 27-23 in its opener. PointsBet was not, however, the only sportsbook to join a September hustle ahead of the start of NFL’s 101st season.
William Hill launched its West Virginia sportsbook on September 4. FanDuel went live in Iowa on September 9. The eleventh-hour action was even picked up across the pond, as 888sport became the first official NFL sports betting partner for the league in the UK and Ireland.
a supremely competitive international sportsbook marketplace in the US
Illustrating a supremely competitive international sportsbook marketplace in the US, British bookmaker Betfred’s USA division debuted online wagering in both Iowa and Colorado, coinciding with week one of the National Football League season.
But PointsBet may have one-upped everyone, after it was named the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports in a $500m deal in late August. What the NBC deal means – at least for the four states in which PointsBet is live right now – is that it has the key to an enviable war chest of television and digital assets that will drive its brand evangelism across the US.
Down under sportsbook on the up
PointsBet’s Illinois launch adds to successful digital unveilings in New Jersey, Iowa, and Indiana.
Speaking of its Illinois breakthrough, PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken said his firm and Hawthorne were “thrilled to provide the Illinois consumer with exactly what they’ve been craving.” Hawthorne got the nod in July from the Illinois Gaming Board to proceed with its $400 million Hawthorne Casino & Race Course redevelopment, which is slated to debut in late 2021.
Tim Carey, President and CEO of Hawthorne, also believes state bettors will quickly develop a new taste in sportsbooks. Carey stated that “Illinois gamblers are going to quickly realize PointsBet provides the best sports betting experience by far.”
Former Chicago Bears great Devin Hester, widely considered the best kick return specialist of all time, has been promoting the new sportsbook. “With the technology that these guys have, it just makes things so easy and fast […] it just makes life so easy when you want to get in bets,” he said.