text: Meanwhile, wagers on in-state college programs are prohibited, meaning would-be legal bettors in Illinois will have to turn back to unregulated means or out of state to place a bet on games featuring the University of Illinois or Northwestern University.
  Illinois was also one of the first states to mandate books use “official league data” for in-play betting. This means operators must purchase data from the leagues themselves, cutting away profits in what is already a small-margin industry.
  And while the bill creates the potential for as many as 23 online sportsbook “skins,” one of the nation’s higher tax rates (15% of gross gaming revenue compared to the 10% or less charged in most other states, but not all), as well as huge initial licensing fees of up to $20 million, will dissuade would-be entrants, especially smaller companies with less capital.
  However, with its large, sports-crazed population and a major metropolitan area to draw bettors from, Illinois is expected to challenge New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nevada for the nation’s largest markets. However, this won’t happen for the duration of the in-person registration mandate.
  Fortunately, that clause sunsets in the second half of 2021, barring another order suspending it, but until then, Illinois’ sports betting potential depends on market participation from top sportsbook operators as well as prudent regulatory measures from the Illinois Gaming Board, which on top of the original sports betting law passes additional regulations and approves all sports betting licenses.
  Home to the NFL’s Chicago Bears, MLB’s Cubs and White Sox, the NHL’s Blackhawks and the NBA’s Bulls, Illinois hosts many of the nation’s best known and beloved professional sports teams. Soon, those teams may also open some of the nation’s first in-stadium sportsbooks.
  The 2019 Illinois sports betting bill permits the aforementioned teams, as well as MLS’ Chicago Fire and two professional motorsports facilities, to open sportsbooks in their home venues. As of August 2020, none of those teams had done so, but Illinois could be the just the second jurisdiction with in-stadium sportsbooks, following Washington D.C.
  Illinois’ pro teams may also partner with the nation’s leading sportsbook operators. All of the professional U.S. sports leagues now have some sort of league betting deal, and a rapidly growing number of individual teams such as the NFL’s Denver Broncos and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers have struck agreements of their own. As Illinois’ sports betting market continues to grow, in-state teams will likely follow suit.