In-person betting on in-state college sports teams will now continue until July 1, 2024, after Illinois lawmakers voted to extend the measure by one more year. Had the vote not taken place before the end of the legislative session in the state, in-person sport bets on in-state teams would have ceased by July 1, 2023.
Betting on college teams in Illinois started in 2021 when Rep. Zalewski proposed a bill to allow betting on Illinois-based college teams. The bill came about two years after Illinois first legalized sports betting in 2019. Back then, members of the legislature had delayed college betting, taking a cue from New Jersey and New York, in hopes to protect local athletes.
Interestingly, the bill permitting college betting faced some resistance from campus athletic directors, forcing the legislature to limit wagering activities to physical sportsbooks. The measure also included a two-year sunset provision that would allow lawmakers to assess the aftermath of in-state college betting.
With the two-year sunset period expiring this July, Rep. Bob Rita included in-state college betting to Senate Bill 98, offering a year’s extension. This means residents will still be able to bet on college games involving the University of Illinois and Northwestern University for the upcoming season.
However, such bets will only be permitted in-person as online in-state college sports bets remain banned.
Athletic Directors Agree With Extension Despite Claims of Social Media Harassment
The extension of in-person college betting did not come without a lengthy hearing. As part of the legislative process, Rep. Rita held hearings in April. Sitting as vice chair of the Housing Gaming Committee, Rita heard the testimony of Josh Whitman, the athletic director of the University of Illinois.
While representing twelve other athletic directors across Illinois, Whitman told members of the legislature that college betting was negatively affecting college athletes. He noted that team members were subjected to online abuse.
“Everything we were worried about when we first started having this conversation has ultimately come to pass. Our student-athletes are being frequent victims of online abuse. They are being ridiculed with very hostile words,” Whitman remarked.
The House pushed back, suggesting that betting on college sports have proved quite lucrative and there were no concrete links between social media harassment and college betting. Whitmer, speaking on behalf of all athletic directors in Illinois, agreed to the extension but recommended that a fund be created to provide mental health support to players.
It is expected that the legislature will look into Whitmer’s suggestions and fully adjust the measure before presenting it to Governor Pritzker for his signature. The governor has 60 days to veto it, otherwise it would become law at the expiration of that period.
However, there are no doubts that the Illinois governor will assent to the bill, having just vetoed four bills from a total of 1,000 he has received in the last one year.
Other Sports Betting Bills in Illinois Deadlocked in Hectic End to Legislative Session
Several sports betting bills initially filed with the Illinois legislature will not be advancing any further as the legislative session for the year came to an end. In another unexpected move, the House Gaming Committee significantly altered the provisions of SB 1508.
This bill proposed responsible gambling measures and mandated sports betting apps to show a pop-up notification every hour. The pop-up message was also to include links to resources providing help against gambling assistance.
While the bill was unanimously passed at the Senate, securing a 54-0 vote, Rep. Hernandez had the responsible gaming provisions edited out of the bill on the House floor. The House went on to pass the amended version on May 19, with the Senate concurring.
Other bills including HB 2239, HB 2320 and SB 1656, all introducing online casinos into Illinois, were not addressed during this year’s legislative session. It would appear that the state’s retail gaming facilities are not ready for iGaming.
