Illinois Gaming Board renews casino gaming and sports betting licences
Rivers Casino and Hawthorne Race Course have received renewals for another four years.
US.- The Illinois Gaming Board has renewed Rivers Casino’s gaming licence and Hawthorne Race Course’s master sports wagering licence. Following a unanimous decision, the licences will run for another four years: Rivers Casino until August 2028 and Hawthorne until September of the same year.
Rivers Casino is located in Des Plaines near O’Hare International Airport. It is one of the top revenue generators of the 15 casinos operating in the state. Hawthorne Race Couse, in the south Chicago suburb of Stickney, was one of the first venues in Illinois to offer retail sports betting. It has retail sports betting and operates via Fanatics Sportsbook.
The IGB has also approved Rush Street Interactive (RSI) for a Management Services Provider licence for four years. RSI, which operates the mobile sportsbook BetRivers through Rivers Casino, has been operating in the state with a temporary permit since June 2020.
The Illinois Gaming Board renewed seven retail sports betting licences in June. Illinois Gaming board administrator Marcus Fruchter, using the expanded powers delegated to him following the Covid-19 pandemic, granted four-year licence renewals through June 2028 to Argosy Casino Alton, DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Hollywood Casino Aurora, Hollywood Casino Joliet, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, and Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in East Peoria.
Illinois implements new sports betting tax
The state of Illinois has implemented its new tax rate for licensed sportsbook operators. Introduced in HB 4951, the new rate is progressive based on adjusted gross revenues. Retail and online revenue are taxed separately.
The first $30m are taxed at 20 per cent; the next $20m at 25 per cent; $50m to $100m at 30 per cent; $100m to $200m at 35 per cent and all revenue above $200m at 40 per cent.
