Illinois House passes omnibus gambling bill

On Tuesday, an omnibus gambling bill that would allow Illinois bettors to wager on in-state college sports teams passed the House. It will essentially serve as a trial run, as it expires on July 1, 2023.

The legislation package only permits in-person wagering on Illinois college teams. Bettors would be able to place these wagers at Illinois casinos, racetracks, or off-track-betting sites, but not on mobile devices, according to Capitol News Illinois. 

Such a bet could be a “Tier 1” wager, meaning it is “determined solely by the final score or final outcome” of a sporting event, and it must have been filed before the start of the game. It would not allow wagering on an individual athlete’s performance.

Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, who sponsored the law, said the bill does not limit college betting to Division 1 sports, but rather allows it for all college athletics.

House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 521, passed with overwhelming support, a 96-11 count in the House. It still needs approval in the Senate before it can head to Governor JB Pritzker.

The legislation package allows fraternal organizations, and fraternal facilities, without liquor licenses, to apply for gambling machine licenses, even if the municipality in which they reside has a local ban on them. Those provisions would not apply, however, to such facilities in Chicago and Cook County.

As of now, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has not handed out any licenses to sports venues. Wrigley Field will apply for one at some point, as it has an agreement with DraftKings to open a retail sportsbook at the park, reports PlayIllinois.

The bill caps an annual fee that non-home rule municipalities can charge on video gaming terminals at $250, up from $25. 

The set of bills prohibits municipalities from taxing video gambling machines or bets placed on the machines. If a municipality has already levied such a tax on video gambling as of June 1, they may continue to charge it, but they may not “increase, expand, or extend the tax or tax rate on such persons participating in playing video gaming terminals,” according to the legislation. according to Capitol News Illinois.

The measure also allows Wintrust Arena, the home of the Chicago Sky of the WNBA, to become a sports betting venue. The initial fee for the facility would be the lesser of $10 million or 5 percent of adjusted gross receipts.

The bill also makes changes to the horse racing industry, such as allowing stallions owned by non-Illinois breeders to bring their horses to Illinois to breed with Illinois mares.

While the bill as filed had a provision requiring “labor peace agreements” for casino licensees, Rita removed that provision in a late amendment.