Illinois passes bill legalizing sports betting; N.Y. could approve sports betting next week

Illinois‘ legislature passed a sports betting bill last weekend.

The Senate voted in favor of SB 690, 46-10, concurring with the House’s approval Saturday. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has expressed support for the legislation and is expected to sign the bill later this month.

The legislation stipulates sports facilities with seating capacity greater than 17,000 may apply for a master sports wagering license, allowing them to offer sports betting at or within a five-block radius of the venue. The initial fee for a sports wagering license is $10 million and is valid for four years.

The Illinois legislation prohibits betting on games involving Illinois schools.

“Today is the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work, determination and teamwork behind a vision for entertainment and economic opportunity in Illinois,” state Rep. Mike Zalewski, one of the bill’s proponents, said in a statement.


Casinos in New York could be authorized next week to operate brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.

Even as hopes dim for mobile betting, the state Gaming Commission is expected to approve a new set of rules on Monday to authorize sports bets at four upstate casinos: Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, Rivers Casino in Schenectady, del Lago Casino in Tyre near Rochester and Tioga Downs near Binghamton.

The Gaming Commission drafted governing rules in January and, following a public-comment period, came up with a plan that would require gamblers to be physically present in the commercial facilities.

Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers are butting heads over whether to allow mobile sports betting as the clock ticks toward the legislative session’s end on June 19.


A St. Louis Blues fan has yet to hedge on his $400 futures bet that would pay $100,000 if his favorite team wins the Stanley Cup. The Blues have a 3-2 game series lead over the Boston Bruins.

The central Missouri native said on “Daily Wager” that he has not hedged his position, which would have entailed a bet on the Boston Bruins once the Blues reached the Stanley Cup Final. That would have locked in a guaranteed profit around $40,000. Additionally, through PropSwap, a third-party marketplace not associated with any casinos that allows bettors to buy and sell bets (an eBay for bettors), Berry has received several offers to sell his ticket throughout this postseason. Currently, he could get $75,000 to not worry about Games 6 and 7. The Bruins are now listed at +250 to win the series at Caesars Sportsbook, meaning Berry can make $25K for every $10K wagered on the other side.


Pro sports bettor James Holzhauer‘s run ended on Jeopardy! after earning 32 wins and $2,464,216.

Emma Boettcher, a user-experience librarian from Chicago, won $46,801 to defeat Holzhauer on Monday’s episode, ending his prolific, 32-game winning streak that captivated the nation.

In 33 games, Holzhauer won $2,464,216. He was poised to take over the top spot in the show’s all-time, regular-play winnings list with one more big win, but he’ll settle for second — $56,484 behind computer scientist and author Ken Jennings, who won $2,520,700 during an epic, 74-game winning streak in 2004.

“I never really believed I could win 75 shows, but I definitely thought I had a great shot at Ken’s cash winnings record,” Holzhauer said in a statement put out by the show.

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